To Love a Marauder
by Still Marauding
Summary: "Just-" she stammered, fresh tears spilling from her eyes, "Just look! I can't make it change!" And with that she cast her Patronus and a large silver Irish Wolfhound appeared. Remus was taken aback by the familiar form, not expecting its reappearance. "Vienna, remember what the book said. You can't change it, there's no way-"
1. Mistaken

1.

Mistaken

"Hey Evans!" James shouted as a tall girl with dark red hair passed the corridor.

"I'm not Evans!" she yelled back looking frazzled. She of course, with her grey-blue eyes and alabaster skin she was not Evans at all. She climbed into the compartment, stepped over Sirius's lounging legs and sat down in the empty seat beside Remus Lupin.

"Look what he did!" she cried, pulling at a piece of long red hair. "Jinxed me from behind on the platform! And I thought it was a simple color-switching spell, but look-"She waved her wand, murmuring the incantation, and the chunk of hair dropped into her palm, "It just falls out! And it's getting redder!" Two pink spots had appeared high on her cheek bones.

"Who did this? Remus asked concerned as James and Sirius roared with laughter.

"Snape of course!" she said.

"Ah, dear old Snivillus," Sirius said darkly. "Did you at least hex him for us Alden?"

"What do you take me for? I used that one you told me about that makes your toe nails grow tremendously fast. They were a foot past his trainers when I left." The boys erupted into roars of laughter again. "Do you have any ideas on how to fix this?" She pointed to her now flaming red hair. They shrugged.

"Fine then, I'll just get Snape to put it right, and if he refuses then I'll make him." And she set off again.

"Wait! He'll kill you!" Sirius called after her retreating figure. She wheeled around. She looked positively dangerous.

"Then it'll be up to you three, maybe four-"She nodded to the huddled mass that was Peter snoring away "to avenge my murder, won't it?" And set off again, only to be pulled back by Sirius.

"Vienna, don't go, you know what they're like" His voice had become softer, his face less arrogant, open. The change was startling. Remus and James seemed the notice it too and were staring bemusedly at their friend. Vienna looked a little confused, but pulled her arm free regardless, and set off along the corridor.

"Hey Mooney, why don't you follow her and make sure they _don't_ kill her. Snape would love to if he could get away with it. I mean, you know Vienna, always biting off more than she can chew…" He trailed off.

"Yeah but she always comes out ok though?" James said. "Remember the time she put those two Slytherin sixth years in the Hospital Wing for a week in third year for hanging that first year by the chandelier? Took Madam Pomfry ages to get those leeks out of their ears…" He trailed off, chuckling at the memory. "They should have made her a Prefect instead of Evans."

"They couldn't, not with her track record," Remus said laughing. "She prefers to hex them than give them detention."

"Still its Snape, not just any random sixth year…" The gins faded off of Remus and James's faces.

"Maybe you should, Mooney, you being a Prefect and all," said James now looking a little concerned.

Remus set off without another word. He was just wondering where she could be when he heard yells. He darted to the source of the noise and found Vienna, in full fury, dueling Snape with five unconscious Slytherins strewn at her feet. His mouth open in shock, he drew his wand. It was hard to know what was going on as both were dueling completely silently, having somehow mastered this a full year before.

"Protego!" He shouted as Snape shot a green jet of light, directly at Vienna's chest. It collided with Lupin's shield charm and disappeared with a hiss.

"What are you playing at?" He said angrily as both turned to face him. Half of Snape's head seemed to be covered in green fungus while Vienna was sporting a nasty gash under one eye that was swelling rapidly.

"Vienna, set Severus's head right, that's gross, it looks like he's got mold growing on his head. Severus, you better set Vienna's hair right; I think it's getting redder." It was now a vivid fire engine red. They just glared at one another. "NOW!" He barked. Vienna gave her wand a quick flick and the fungus evaporated from Snape's face. Snape brought his down in a long slashing motion and Vienna's hair fell out.

"You'll get it now Snivillus, you arse!" she yelled and sprang forward but Remus caught her around the middle and tossed her back.

"It'll be back within the hour, I assure you," he sneered as she looked aghast at her fallen hair. And sure enough, Remus could see it starting to grow before his eyes. He stepped back into the corridor, pulling Vienna along behind him. She slammed the compartment door as she left. They set off back to their compartment in silence, Remus still dragging Vienna, lest she go back and try and finish her duel, which seem exactly the thing she'd do.

By the time they'd gotten back to the compartment, her hair, now returned to its usual chestnut, was the length as his, flopping just above her eyebrows. The gash on her cheek was turning a sickly purple color tinged with green. Blood had trickled from the cut to the edge of her jaw bone.

"Not your best look Alden." James said as Remus pushed her in ahead of him.

"Would it look better like this, Potter?" As she shook her head back and forth like a dog before plopping down in the seat next to Sirius. She then ran her hand through her hair in a very James-like way. It was now sticking up exactly the same way as James's, who was sitting across from her. Everyone laughed. Even Remus who was still eyeing her concernedly managed to crack a grin.

"Now you're really one of the guys, Alden. We'll have to start calling you Garret or something," James smirked. "I mean Muggle brawling and everything? You're on a roll today!"

"I wasn't Muggle brawling!" She said indignantly.

"Then how'd you get that wonderful gash on your cheek? It looks like you got wailed in the face."

"Sectumpsempra's one of Snape's favorites," She said darkly.

"Here I'll fix that," Said Sirius. He muttered a stream of incantations that sounded like a song and the wound grew very hot and then very cold, and was once again smooth alabaster skin. He muttered "_Tergeo!"_ and the dried blood vanished.

"Thanks Sirius," Vienna said as she tried to warm up her cheek.

"No problem, Alden," He said with a smile.

"You _really_ shouldn't have done that, Vienna. That was _really_ dumb." Remus said at last.

"I'm fine!"

"But you might not have been! If I hadn't got there in time-"

"I might've floored Snape too. I already had Avery and Mulciber-"

"You knocked out _Mulcier?_" Sirius asked incredulously.

"And Rosier, Rookwood, and Travers. And I would have had Snape once that fungus hex obscured his vision-"

"You have to _stop _Vienna. You're going to be killed one day if you keep dueling everyone-"

"They're Death Eaters Remus."

"Exactly, and once they leave school and join You-Know-Who, who do you think will be on the top of the hit lists? Anyone openly resisting."

"They killed my family." She said softly, nervously twisting the gold locket at her throat . Everyone knew what happened to Vienna's parents. When she was nine, during the beginning of Voldemort's rise to power, he and some of his Death Eaters had hunted down her parents who were living in the little village of Tinsworth and slaughtered them. Vienna, who had been at a friend's house at the time, came home to find her parents dead upon the floor. So she was shipped off to live with a distant Muggle aunt and the Wizarding community was left in fear that if Voldemort would dare attack and kill two well-know and successful Aurors, then how could they be safe.

"Let it go. It can't rule your life forever." Remus said gently. Vienna looked down at her hands, in part to avoid answering, but more to avoid being seen with watering eyes. Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Just then the plump witch pushing the food cart stopped by their compartment.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked.

"Yes!" said James hopping up at once, followed closely by Peter, who had miraculously woken up at the word trolley and waddled out behind James. Remus followed suit. Sirius got up, turned, and saw Vienna still sitting, hiding her face.

"Here," He said, handing her a handkerchief.

"Oh, thanks," she said, looking surprised, eyes streaming.

He walked out to join his other friends. She wiped her eyes and carefully folded the handkerchief and put it in her pocket before following the boys outside.

After eating what felt like half the candy shop, the lanterns were lit and they started pulling on their Hogwarts robes. The rest of the journey seemed to fly by, and before they knew it they were in one of the horseless carriages, trundling up to the school. They took their seats at the Gryffindor table a little way away from Lily Evans, the girl James had mistaken Vienna for before she fixed her hair. It was now, thankfully back to its normal, dark chestnut, streaming to the middle of her back. James ruffled his hair and called, "Hey Evans! Good summer?" She gave him a look before calling back "Alright." James looked pleased with himself.

The sorting hat was brought out as Hagrid lead the first years to the front. They took turns trying on the hat, which then shouted out the name of their house. They looked positively tiny, shaking from nerves. The sorting finally ended and everyone began talking excitedly to their friends.

The buzzing abruptly stopped as the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood up to address the students. His blue eyes twinkling, arms stretched wide in welcome, he said:

"To our new students, welcome. To those returning, welcome back. I must make a few announcements before we enjoy our excellent feast. First off, the forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all students, and some should bear that in mind more than others. Magic is also forbidden in the corridors between classes. No one is to be out of bed after hours. Tuck in!"

And the golden plates filled with food. Everyone was full to bursting before they walked up to their dormitories. James, Sirius, Peter, and Vienna took a short cut through the tapestry on the fourth floor. They reached the familiar portrait of the Fat Lady guarding Gryffindor tower.

"Password?" She asked.

"Errr?" James, Sirius, and Peter said looking at each other hopelessly.

"Beatlejuice, " Vienna said, appearing behind them. The portrait hole swung open.

"How'd you?"

"I asked Lily before we went up. "

"Well night," said James and trudge up the boy's dormitory stairs. Peter yawned and followed.

"Thanks again Sirius," Vienna said before darting up the girls stairs.

Sirius stood there for a minute, transfixed, before following Peter and James upstairs.


	2. How Easy to Fall

2.

How Easy to Fall

Vienna found her own way downstairs the next day. It was Monday- the first day of term. She thought I'd be a good idea to get down to breakfast early now that James was Quidditch Captain. James might be likely to flip the table if everyone wasn't down in time for a pre-class pitch look-round. She walked into the Great Hall bleary eyed and yawning, plucking herself down in the first empty seat.

"Getting some breakfast before James flips out?" said Sirius, lounging in his chair, carefree and elegant even at five in the morning.

"My sentiments exactly. Pass the marmalade please," she yawned. Sirius laughed and handed it to her. "I swear, if he has us out at four like Collingsworth did last year, I'll chuck my bat at him."

"Ahem," said a voice from behind them.

"I said James, if you have us out at four I will chuck my bat at you." She said again without looking up.

"Course Schedules." Said Professor McGonagall.

"Oops, sorry Professor, I thought you were James," she said as they took their schedules.

"Ug, Double Potions today with, _no,_ _not again_, the Slytherins. " Sirius groaned.

"Ew, Merlin, why do we always have Potions with the Slytherins?" Vienna grumbled. "_And_ we don't have Defense Against the Dark Arts until Friday!"

"Crap schedule this year mate," Sirius said as James sat down.

Turned out, James was too tired to tour the pitch, so instead they set of for Transfiguration early. It was the beginning of NEWTS, so this was bound to be an interesting class.

Professor McGonagall had them seated alphabetically this year, probably because of the incident last year when Sirius turned James into a tea set. It took her twenty minutes to put him right (which is what they were after of course.)So, now James was next to Peter, Sirius next to Vienna, and Lupin was sitting next to a girl with long blonde hair no one seemed to remember who she was.

It was fairly easy. They were working on cross species Switching spells, only instead of the usual shouted incantations; most people were blue in the face trying to switch guinea pigs to real ones. The only people that seemed to be getting anywhere were James, Sirius, and Vienna, who had managed to turned their guinea pigs to piglets and were watching the rest of the class struggle. Or in Sirius's case, turning the pig blue and hairy.

"You should give it purple spots too," Vienna giggled as the piglet sprouted two inches of fluffy blue hair.

"You got it!" And with a flourish, there was a blue and purple fluffy spotted pig before them. Vienna doubled up in silent laughter.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by and before they knew it, it was time to tramp down to Slughorn's dungeon for Potions. Remus pulled Vienna pointedly away from Snape, on whom she had been advancing while Sirius watched; half worried looking, half amused. Snape just gave her a dirty look before filing in to the classroom. They sat in the back, as far away from Snape as they could manage; Lily seemed to feel the same way and shared a table Vienna, who was already kindling a fire under her cauldron.

The dungeon was damp and cold. Vienna held her hand to the fire, which was purple, and already licking the sides of her cauldron. Slughorn bounced in, jovial as ever. He started rambling on about the potions that were simmering on his desk.

"Miss Alden, can you tell me the name of this one?" He called, obviously sensing her disinterest, pointing to a cauldron full of a pearly liquid with clouds of vapor rising in spirals.

"It's Amortentia. It's the strongest love potion in the world. It doesn't really create love it just creates powerful obsession or infatuation. Oh and it smells different to everyone too, depending on what they're attracted too." She said in a dismal voice, still warming her hands over the purple flames.

"Absolutely right, ten points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn cried. He continued to drone on about the different potions. Finally, he assigned them the Living Draught of Death and she unpacked her cauldron and got to work.

By the end of the period, her potion was the palest purple, almost clear, like Lily's. The only person who managed to do better than them was Snape, who's was as clear as water. This seemed to bother Lily as much as it bothered Vienna.

She waited outside for James and Sirius, who would both be going down to the pitch with her, because Slughorn made them stay behind and get their detention slips. They had blown up each other's potions and drenched half the class. Talk about starting out with a bang.

The door opened and James and Sirius left still grinning broadly.

"How much did you get from Slughorn?" She asked.

"Three days of manual labor," said James, smirking.

"Sometimes I think you two clean more of the school than the house elves." She said and laughed. They headed down to the great hall, grabbed a quick bite to eating and headed out to the locker rooms to change into their scarlet robes. Vienna tied her hair back out of her face and lounged by the back wall, and was shortly joined by Sirius, who handed her her bat and set his beside him.

"Thanks," she yawned, "James better have a quick pep talk or I'm going to fall asleep. I don't know whether it's the fact I was up at five or if it's the after effects of being drenched in the Living Draught of Death, but I'm dead beat." James got up and started to address the team. No one seemed to be paying him any attention, and sure enough, after fifteen minutes of rambling, her head drooped onto Sirius's shoulder. Sirius looked rather pleased about this occurrence. James however, did not.

"Oi! Wanna pay attention here Vi?" She didn't stir. James cuffed her around her head. She jerked awake, blinking madly.

"Merlin's pants, James! I was trying to sleep there!" Everyone burst out laughing at that. Even James cracked a grin.

"Fine then, everyone out to the pitch, pronto!" Seven sets of feet walked out onto the field and took off, doing the usual warm up lap. Vienna looped around James yelling, "Look Potter I'm awake, no need to get violent!" And she sped away laughing. Sirius kicked open the crate on the field let the balls loose. The three Chasers Evie Prang, Charlotte Johansson, and Rodney Harris spend off with the Quaffle and started trying to get past their Keeper, Jason Dewhurst, while Vienna and Sirius lazily batted a Bludger back and forth. James had caught the Snitch twelve times before he called it quits.

"Good practice, all of you. Try and get some sleep, next practice will be Thursday." James said when they had all landed. Vienna tried to wrestle the Bludger into the crate. It got lose and managed to smack her in the face, knocking her backwards. Sirius grabbed it before it could come round for another attack. He shoved it into the crate and chained it back in.

"It's just not turning out to be your day, is it?" Sirius said, helping her up. Her nose was already a deep purple color and swelling. It looked broken. "I mean, two day since summer holidays ended and you've spent a good portion of them getting your face smashed open. You gotta slow down mate." She grimaced, feeling her nose.

"Damb I lefd by wand in da dobadories" she said thickly. "I'll see you lader." She headed off toward the school.

"I'll escort you. Young ladies such as yourself shouldn't be wandering the dark castle by themselves, wandless and vulnerable. "She turned around, were he saw two stupendous black eyes blooming, and raised her eyebrows.

"Suid yourself."

They headed to the Hospital Wing in silence. Sirius couldn't help but notice how white she was becoming or how unsteady on her feet. And she was losing _a lot_ of blood.

"I'b jusd going do sid down for a few binudes," she said faintly before sliding down the wall. Sirius didn't know what to do. He'd never seen her look so frail and helpless.

"Come on, we have to get you to Madame Pomfry," he said picking her up off the floor, She didn't object, which was odd. He looked at her and saw she was out cold. He started walking faster.

"Oh, not you again," Madame Pomfry said as she looked at the unconscious girl in Sirius's arms. He laid her down on a bed. She started muttering about the dangers of Quidditch as she tipped a green potion reading "Blood Replenisher" down her throat and started murmuring spells. The blood disappeared, her nose stopped swelling, and the vivid black bruises started to fade away. Her eyes fluttered open. Madame Pomfry stalked back to her office, still grumbling.

"What happened?" She asked confused.

"You got hit in the face by a Bludger. " Sirius said.

"Great," she said swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. "Where's Madame Pomfry?"

"In her office."

"Let's go then, I don't want to be stuck here over night." And, creeping passed Madame Pomfry's closed office door and headed back to the Common Room.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sirius asked finally, when they reached the warm circular room.

"Never better," she said curiously to the definite note of concern in his voice.

They found James and Lupin sitting by the fire. Peter was in the corner trying to turn another guinea pig into a real one and failing miserably. Sirius sat down next to James and Vienna left to retrieve he bag from her dorm.

"What took you so long," James asked irritably.

"Took her up to the Hospital Wing, she passed out, then Madame Pomfry fixed her up and we left."

James looked like he was going to say something else when the portrait hole opened and Lily Evans walked through.

"Alright Evans?" James called loudly, a grin plastered to his face. She gave him a dark look and left up the girl's dormitory steps without a word.

"Why won't she go out with me?" he said, the grin wiped clean off his face.

"I'd say it's because you're an arrogant prat," Vienna said as she silently reappeared. "Oh and it would hurt to stop calling her Evans. She's not a guy, and she'd probably appreciate it."

"Good idea Alden!" James said. Vienna rolled her eyes and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill, and _Advanced Transfiguration. _She sprawled out next to the hearth and began writing her essay. Remus soon joined her to escape James's and Sirius's many admirers. Girls practically flocked to talk to them after the long summer.

"Always the same, eh Mooney?" Vienna said in an undertone to Remus as they watched some fourth year girl practically throw herself at Sirius.

"Yep," Said Remus unconcernedly, going back to his essay.

"Twelve inches on non-verbal spells, right?" Remus nodded. She rolled up her finished essay and sat watching James and Sirius and the onslaught of girls. At eight they left for their detentions with Slughorn, leaving Remus, Vienna and Peter alone in the common room. Peter had somehow managed to make his guinea pig sprout leeks from its ears.


	3. Flitting Around and Taking Head On

3.

Flitting around and Taking Head oN

"Hey! Vi! Wait up!" Sirius yelled, pushing through a crowd of third years to catch up to her. She turned, looking back in surprise. Lily, who was walking with her, shot him a disgusted look and whispered something to Vienna before shooting off towards the Charms classroom. He appeared a moment later and beamed at her.

"What's up with Evans? Doesn't want to see me?" he said airily.

"Doesn't want to hex you more like. She's still pissed about Tuesday, " she said, smiling.

"Aw, that was nothing! Just a bit of fun!"

"You jinxed two first years!"

"They had it coming!"

"This will be interesting-"

"They were arrogant little berks!"

"Remind you of anyone?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Anyway, what do you want Sirius? I have to go meet Remus in the library." His eyebrows knotted together a bit at this.

"I was just going to tell you that James set practice for tomorrow at five."

"Oh thanks, he told me," she said. His face fell a bit.

"Do you want to practice tonight? We could work on that new move-"

"I can't, I have to study. I don't get this new Arithmancy method at all. Sorry," she started to leave.

"I could help you with that!" he volunteered, his eyes lighting up.

"Err, ok then," she said looking at him quizzically. "I mean, I don't want to impose…"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't this prime time for you to be blowing something up or snogging some girl in a deserted classroom?"

"Err," he stammered, but she smiled.

"I'll see you there."

"James!" Sirius yelled, careening up the stair to the boys dormitories. The top door banged open and James's untidy head popped out.

"Where's the fire?" he asked. He looked like he'd just woken up.

"Do I look alright?"

"Err, sure? I guess? Why?" James asked as Sirius began rooting through his trunk. Sirius didn't answer for a moment, tossing books and random articles of clothing across the room. Finally he pulled out a bottle in triumph.

"What's up with you? James asked, looking confusedly to the bottle.

"Zis is ode de cologne, " he said in a cheesy French accent.

"What are you wearing cologne for?" James laughed, throwing a pair of Sirius's dirty sock back at him.

"I have a study date wiz a beautiful mademoiselle," Sirius said, spritzing the stuff all over his front.

"Ok first of all, cut the French thing, it's weird, and second, that _cologne_ smells like shit," James said, wrinkling his nose.

"Girls apparently like it," Sirius said defensively.

"Why are you bothering anyway? It's not like you ever even bother to change your socks normally."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius said, edging to the door. James blocked it.

"Wait, let me get this straight, you actually _like_ someone? The great Sirius Black has finally _fallen?_ " James asked sarcastically, clearly waiting for a rise out of Sirius. He pushed past.

"Who is it?" James called as Sirius dashed down the stairs. Sirius didn't turn. "Ah, well." James said fondly. "It'd be too easy if he told me anyway." And he disappeared under his Invisibility Cloak.

Sirius strutted into the library a few minutes later. He found Vienna and Remus sitting at table with a few other sixth year Gryffindors including Peter and Lily. He pulled up a chair next to Vienna and flopped down, looking as he did at the ink flecked parchment in front of her. The entire sheet was covered in calculations, all pitilessly crossed out.

"Hey," he said as he sat down. There was a murmured greeting returned by the group. Vienna sneezed next to him.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "Thanks so much for helping me out with this. It's really nice of you." At this Lily looked up and glared at him suspiciously.

"No problem. Ok so what's the problem?"

"I just-" she sneezed again. "Sorry, I just don't understand it. You know me, I'm horrible at any kind of math and this new technique is a lot harder."

"It's easy if you use this equation instead of the one in the book," he said, leaning closer to scribble it down on a piece of parchment. She burst into a fit of violent sneezing.

"Sirius, are you-" Sneeze."-wearing-" Sneeze. "-cologne or-" Sneeze. "-something?" Sneeze, sneeze, sneeze.

"Errr…" Sirius said, looking uneasy.

"BOO!" James yelled, ripping off his Invisibility Cloak. Lily screamed and jumped out of her chair while the others let out squeals of terror. Vienna clapped her hands to her mouth and hiccupped in fright. James collapsed in roars of laughter.

"James, you immature, slimy little GIT!" Lily bellowed, scrambling to her feet. James bowed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed my performance Evans," he said, a smug smile appearing on his face. She looked too mad to speak.

"And how are we doing today?" he said, sitting between Lily and Remus. No one said anything except a small sneeze from Vienna.

"What's up with you?" James asked.

"I think I'm allergic to Sirius's cologne or something," she said, looking apologetic. She sneezed again. Lily pulled her from her seat and began dragging her out of the library. Vienna looked between Lily's determined face and the others before waving goodbye and vanishing with a final sneeze.

"Lily! Let go!" she said as they reached the deserted corridor before pulling her arm free. "What's your issue?"

"I wasn't going to sit by and let you make a fool out of yourself!"

"I didn't do _anything _wrong!"

"But you would have if I left you there. And you could get a breath in." She smirked.

"_Lily_," she moaned, "I wanted to stay! It's not like I was going to pull a James!" Lily laughed.

"Is that our new code-word for desperation?"

"I don't know why you don't just go out with him. He's smart, he's funny-"

"-And makes more trouble than he's worth-"

"-He's absolutely in _love_ with you-"

"-He's and arrogant toerag! And he is not _in love_ with me!" she said indignantly. Vienna gave her a look that clearly said _Yes, he is._

"Still," she said, running her fingers through her dark red hair. "I wasn't going to let you try! Besides, you know what he's like! Bounces from girl to girl like he's in a bounce house. I just don't want you to get hurt. I mean, it's been like what, three years? And he hasn't noticed you other than Quidditch or the occasional hello during class."

"But he's-"

"If you say because he's hot I will hit you-"

"I wasn't going to say that, though you bring up a valid point-"

"Vi, we've been through this! You can't date Sirius Black! First of all he doesn't date-"

"What about marriage?" she laughed. Lily punched her playfully.

They heard a rustling noise behind them and whipped around, but the corridor was empty.

"James!" Vienna called out. "James, Lily loves you _so_ much! She was just telling me that she _loves_ you-" Lily clapped her hand over her mouth while Vi's muffled laughter filled the hall.

"There's no one here…" she said suspiciously. They walked to the end of the corridor in silence before climbing a flight of stairs. "Bye Jamesie!" Vienna's voice echoed down the stairs punctuated by another chorus of giggles.

Remus whipped off the Cloak and hesitated a moment before returning to the library, a troubled look on his face.

"I can't believe how much homework we have! I mean three _rolls_ of translations on ancient magical courtship rituals? At _least _make it on a war or defensive strategy!" Vienna complained as they left their Friday morning Ancient Runes lesson.

"I think she wants to make sure to completely cover the 'Nastily Exhausting' portion of our exams," Remus laughed.

"It's not that bad!" Lily said fairly.

"Sure for Perfect Lily! You can do anything!" Vienna said jokingly. "And you don't have Quidditch practice!"

"But I have Prefect duties!"

"Ooh and that's so hard, telling snotty little third years to stop throwing dung bombs down the stairs! You won't even have to put up with James and Sirius because they'll be on the pitch, bugging me," she laughed. Lily gave her a conceding grin while Remus busied himself with his bag.

"Did I hear my name?" James said, popping up behind them. They jumped.

"Now that you mention it, I think I did too," Sirius said on his other side.

"Way to creep you two," Vienna said, suppressing a smile.

"So you think we're a handful Vi?" James asked, eyebrow raised.

"A handful? Of course not!" she laughed. "You're an armful each at least!" Remus sniggered. She gave him a disgusted look. "That's not what I meant!"

"So where are you lovely ladies going?" Sirius said with a mock-gentlemanly tone.

"You know where we're going! You're going there too!" Lily said huffily. She always seemed flustered around James.

"Easy Evans, keep the claws in!" James said, happy to have gotten a rise out of her. Lily opened her mouth to retaliate.

"Oh, give it a rest already! You guy fight like an old married couple!" Vienna sighed. They both turned to answer her when the door opened and their new DADA professor ushered them inside.

He was old, balding and dressed entirely in black. He looked slightly like an old wolverine with his beady eyes and large nose. The class fell silent, waiting to see what kind of teacher he would be.

"Sit down!" he said in a deep commanding voice.

The class filed in, the Gryffindors taking the seats in the back, Slytherins moving up front. Lily sat down at a desk farthest from the front and was quickly joined, to her dismay, by James. Vienna rolled her eyes and sat next to Remus while Sirius, looking disappointed, sat next to Peter.

"All right, so these are my NEWT students? You look like one good hex could finish you all off," he said, raising an eyebrow. He stared threateningly around the room before his eyes landed on Vienna, who was rummaging through her bag. His wand flashed through the air in a blur, red light shooting from its tip. At almost the same moment Vienna's wand streaked upwards, a shield charm expanding out, rebounding the Stunning spell back towards its caster.

She straightened up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. To the general surprise of the class she was smiling.

"Nice one Mr. Henderson but not fast enough," she said, grinning. Remus looked at her in confusion. Professor Henderson smiled.

"Good to see you're paying attention Miss Alden," he said before turning to the class.

"My name is Professor Henderson and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. Some of you may have heard of me from my days at the Ministry. For all of you that haven't, I was Chief Auror for seventeen years. I've helped put some of the Darkest Wizards of our times in Azkaban." Everyone was leaning forward in their chairs, hanging on his every word. "In this class you will learn how to protect yourself from some of the nastiest wizards you can find. This will be a hands-on course, so you will want to have your wand on you at all times. By the end of this year, we will have learned who can think on their feet and who perishes. Wands out, pair up and practice disarming each other non-verbally. Now."

The sudden scrape of chairs echoed as everyone got to their feet and partnered up. Soon everyone was blue in the face trying to disarm their opponent without speaking. Professor Henderson roamed around the pairs, critiquing and offering advice.

"Nice job boys," he said to James and Sirius, who were trying to hex each other silently. They looked up in surprise. Any other teacher would have given them detention.

He made his way over to where Lily and Vienna were working. He smiled but did not comment.

The class passed by in a whirl of spell work. By the end, everyone was buzzing over the "amazing lesson." Lily and Vi were laughing at James's newly acquired antlers when someone grabbed their shoulders.

"Ah!" they squeaked and spun around but it was just Remus.

"How'd you know Professor Henderson?" he asked, panting a little as he caught up.

"He was my parents' boss. I saw him whenever I went into the office with them," she said, picking up the books she had dropped.

"Hey Vi, wait up!" Sirius cried, closely followed by James who was now antler free.

"What's up?" She asked. Lily shot them a dirty look.

"I was wondering if you wanted to-" he started, but Lily cut him off.

"James, I _really_ need to speak to you and Sirius _alone_," she said, a little louder than necessary.

"Sure, just a minute-"

"_Now!_" she looked positively dangerous. Vienna hesitated but followed Remus down the hallway.

"I don't know _what_ you think you're doing Sirius," Lily hissed, "But you better cut it out! Vi is not one of your hussies so leave her alone!" She stormed off, red hair whipping around her head.

"You know mate, I think it's true what they say about redheads…" Sirius said in an undertone to James, who looked a little scared by Lily's outburst.


	4. Something Changes Around Christmastime

4.

Something changes Around Christmastime

Time passed in a haze of homework, Quidditch practices and detention. Before they knew it, Gryffindor had won its first match against Hufflepuff and were second in the running for the House cup. The first snowfall had long since passed and now students were forced to slog through two feet off snow to their outdoor classes. Finally, it was the day before Christmas break officially started, though no classes were held.

"See you in a few weeks!" Vienna was saying to Lily as she hugged her goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? I wrote to Mum and she said-"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks though." She said, smiling. "Besides, I don't think your sister could handle two witches in the house for two and a half weeks. I think she'd kill us." Lily laughed.

"You're probably right, but if you change your mind…"

"Oh, stop fussing Lils! I'll be alright!"

"Bye then! Please remember to write!" she said and waved as she got into one of the horseless carriages.

Vienna smiled and waved until the carriage was out of sight and then dropped her hand abruptly, smile faltering. She looked over at the Marauders, as they had recently taken to calling themselves. They were all taking and laughing, waiting for the next carriage to the station. She looked sadly at the four as they climbed into the carriage, their laughs echoing across the empty courtyard. She watched as they drove away, the three of their heads still shaking with laughter.

_Three?_

She looked again over by the doorway, to see who had remained behind. Sirius was climbing back up the icy steps, shaking the snow out of his hair. He hadn't noticed her. He looked the saddest she'd ever seen him. It was if the light in his eyes had gone out, like he was missing some part of himself. He looked so vulnerable, so breakable. She took a step forward. The noise echoed in the empty Great Hall and he looked up.

"Oh, hey," he said, half smiling.

"I thought you were going home with James," she said, puzzled. "Aren't you staying with him?"

"Yeah, well, I figured I might stay here. Let them have a nice family holiday." She detected a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Aren't you staying with your aunt or something?"

"Nope, I never go there except the summer. She doesn't mind. She doesn't really get magic."

"That's too bad. I always thought-"

"Its fine, I don't mind staying. They have a nice Christmas tea and all the teachers get drunk so it has its benefits," she smirked. Sirius still looked troubled. "Hey, guess what I found out!"

"What?"

"The password to the Slytherin common room."

"No way! How?"

"So you know that Ravenclaw that's going out with-" They abled up the staircase, exchanging stories and plans for what they were going to do to the Slytherin common room once night fell.

As it turned out, they were the only two students staying for Christmas break. This tended to earn them a lot of slack from the teachers who felt bad about their lack of a proper family. Of course, this only went so far, especially after McGonagall found them at the top of the astronomy tower at two-thirty in the morning.

"What were you doing up there anyway?" she asked, exasperated.

"We were just wandering Professor!" Sirius said indignantly.

"Just because you're the only two students here does not mean that we don't still have rules! I'll let you off with a warning this time, but if I catch you again it will be a double detention!"

On Christmas morning, Sirius woke with a start. It felt as if he'd just been splashed in the face with ice water. He had. He bolted upright to find Peeves floating over him, holding the water pitcher. He cackled as he saw the anger flash across Sirius's face and zoomed out of the room, dropping the water pitcher on the floor where it broke into a thousand tiny shards.

Sirius had just had time to register the time before someone came skidding into the room and yelped, falling onto the glass.

"Merlin! Are you ok?" Sirius asked as he jumped out of bed.

"I thought I heard a crash, I thought you were hurt or something!" she cried, looking down at her bloodied hands.

"Here, sit up here," he said, helping her to his bed before he cleared away the glass on the floor with a wave of his wand. The glass in her skin was another matter.

"Do you want me to take you to Madame Pomfry?" he asked as she examined her wounds.

"No, nothing's that bad, I just need some tweezers," she said, wincing as she pulled a large hunk of glass out of the palm of her hand. Sirius found an old pair hiding in a cupboard in the bathroom. Vi took them wordlessly and began taking the little glass shards out of her hands and feet. Luckily only one knee had landed on the glass. It took a half hour to get all the glass out before she muttered "Episky" and looked up. All the while Sirius had sat silent and helpless, unsure of what to do.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, of course," she said, trying to breeze the whole thing over. "I've had worse. I broke my arm when I was ten and since I was living with my aunt I had to go to one of those doctors and he had to re-break it and everything. It was horrible."

"My mum push- I mean I fell down the stairs when I was six and broke mine." He said, looking at her quickly to see if she'd caught on to his mistake. She had.

"Is that why you left?" she said looking concerned. "I always wondered… You always had bruises whenever you came back from a holiday…" she trailed off, seeming to think that she'd gone too far.

"Yeah well I'm the disappointment of the family," he said bitterly. "Them with all their pure blood nonsense, my stupid brother believing them…"

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said anything," she said, looking worried.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," he said quickly. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments. Then Vienna said, "You forgot to open your presents."

He looked quickly to the pile of parcels at the end of his bed. She grabbed a package and tossed it to him. "Who's it from?"

"My Uncle Alphard," he said, tearing it open. It contained a miniature model of a motorcycle. Sirius laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Uncle Alphard knows how much I want one of these," he chortled. Vienna smiled.

"Here," she said and tossed him another. They went on like this for a while, laughing and guessing from who the gifts were from. Vienna nearly fell off the bed laughing when Sirius unwrapped James's gift, a blanket made entirely from old boxer shorts.

At one o'clock Vienna scurried from the room. "Where are you going?" Sirius called as her mane of dark hair whipped around the corner. She yelled back something about getting ready for tea before disappearing up the steps to the girl's dormitory. Sirius wondered idly why she needed an hour to throw on some clothes and hike down to the Great Hall. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, then thought better of it and traded it for a striped oxford shirt.

Three quarters of an hour later, Vienna came downstairs to find Sirius sitting by the fire in the common room, casting various spells on his miniature motorcycle. He turned around at the sound of the door closing and stared in amazement.

She was wearing a simple white dress that flowed out perfectly at the hips and had a black satin bow tied around her waist. She had tied her hair up in an elegant knot instead of its usual waves. She had even bothered to put on some makeup, which she normally couldn't be bothered to, and looked even prettier than normal.

"You look…wow," Sirius said, his voice escaping him for a moment. "What's with all the fuss?" he asked.

"It's Christmas and I had it lying around," she said, smiling shyly. "Is it too much? Should I go-"

"It's perfect," he said firmly and she beamed at him.

They walked down to the Great Hall to find a single long table set up in the center of the room surrounded by twelve Christmas trees. The teachers were already there and it looked as though Professor Slughorn had already had one too many glasses of mead.

The meal was excellent. They had a wonderful time watching the teacher let their hair down for a change and opening the wizard crackers. At quarter to five the wandered out of the great hall and up the marble stair case.

"You want to see something really cool?" Sirius asked suddenly as they reached the seventh floor.

"OK," Vienna said eagerly.

"Close your eyes, it's a surprise," he said and waited until she had them firmly shut. He took her hands and led her to the statue of Barnabas the barmy, where he released them. Her face fell slightly at this which made him grin before he paced three times in front of the empty wall until a door popped into existence. He led her through the doorway, making sure that her eyes were still shut.

The room was dimly lit with a wide balcony looking over the ground. It was airier then the other rooms in the castle; there were windows everywhere and a magnificent crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Mirrors hung on several of the window-free walls and reflected the blue light of the sun setting behind the forest.

"Can I open my eyes now?" she asked.

"Yes," he said softly. She opened them and gasped.

"Where are we?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"I wanted to ask you something," he said taking her hands again.

"That's not a question," she breathed, looking deep into his grey eyes.

He stepped closer, reaching up with one of his hands to brush a stray piece of hair she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. He wound his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. His lips met hers almost as if in slow motion. He could feel her all around him. Her lips moving with his, her arms wrapped around him, the softness of her hair as his hand twined into its sweeping tendrils. They stood there, lost in their embrace for what felt like forever before finally breaking away.


	5. Stupid Questions

5.

Stupid Questions

"Wake up!" Vi yelled as she jumped onto Sirius's bed.

"What the? Gerroff-"

"Not until I decide whether you're a prat or not."

"_Its six in the bloody morning!_" he said, exasperatedly.

"It could've been five," She said, sitting firmly on his chest.

"Fine, I'm up," he said, grudgingly rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Now will you get the hell off of me?"

She gave him a dirty look.

"I didn't mean it like- ITS SIX O'CLOCK IN THE FUCKING MORNING!"

"Do manners kick in around nine?"

"Yeah, come back then," he said, closing his eyes. She wacked him over the head.

"OI! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON ABOUT-"

"Did you mean it?" she interrupted. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Mean what?"

"The-" she stopped, cheeks going red.

"The?"

"The kiss, did you mean it when you kissed me?" she said very fast her face glowing red.

"Is that what you're on about? It's-"

"SIX O'CLOCK IN THE FUCKING MORNING!" she finished. "Yeah, I know."

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"Well-"

"BLACK!"

"I-"

"JUST SAY IT!"

"I'm trying! Just chill out for a second," he said.

"Fine."

"I- I meant it or whatever! Happy now?" he said irritated.

"Did you really mean it?"

"I just said that-"

"Well did you_ mean_ it?"

"Yes!"

"_Really?"_

"Yes."

"_Truly?"_

"YES!"

"_Honestl-"_

"Oh my god Alden, in the name of Merlin's most saggy trousers shut up!" he cried, pushing her off his chest and covering her mouth with one hand. He straddled on top of her, their noses almost touching. "Yes, I like you, you loud, annoying, pain in the arse- EGH!" he said as she licked his hand. "You can add gross to that list now too!"

She stuck out her tongue at him. He grabbed it.

"AH! 'AT DA THUCK!" she cried as he laughed, "GET OTH OF NE! OW! THIRIUTH!"

He let go, still laughing while she scowled at him. "So was that as good for you as it was for me?" he asked lewdly, glancing at their close proximity. She noticed this too, and, fighting a smile, grabbed the nearest pillow and hit him over the head with it.

"Nope, not budging," he said, still laughing.

"Get off!" she said, laughing.

"_Not until I decide whether you're a prat or not!" _he mimicked.

"Cut it out!"

"_Cut it out!"_

"I'm serious!"

"_I'm seri- _Sorry, love, but _I'm_ Sirius," he said, chortling. She gave him a dirty look.

"That was so old in the First Year."

"That's a classic!"

"That's verging on the awkward jokes that dad's tell to entertain your friends only _they're not funny!"_

"I'm _Siriusly_ offended!"

"I'm _seriously_ not amused." She shot back, fighting a smile.

"SEE! It's funny!"

"Shut up," she conceded. "Now please, let me up?"

"How 'bout another one of those very meaningful kisses?"

"ITS SIX O'CLOCK IN THE FUCKING MORNING!" she repeated incredulously.

"So?"

"So… So brush your teeth for crap's sake!" she said, going red again. He just laughed and rolled off of her, turning to give her a cheeky grin as he headed to the bathroom.

"You're such a prat!" she laughed, smoothing her rumpled hair into a long braid.

"Whatever Aldie, you know you love me."

"Don't call me- I never- YOU PRAT!" she huffed before giving him a final dirty look before stomping down stairs. Sirius laughed. Then he heard a loud series of bangs and a long string of expletives. He poked his head out of the dormitory to find Vi sitting in a tangled heap, having clearly just fallen down the stairs.

"I'm good!" she said as he hopped down the stairs to offer a hand. "Thanks."

"You know falling in love is just an expression," he said, fighting a grin. She hit him on the shoulder, giving him another look. He just laughed and mussed up her hair.

"You're a complete arse, you know that?" she said. In response he just pulled her to him and kissed her square on the mouth.

"Just, shut up already," he growled, winding his hands into her hair. "Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?"

"I believe it's been said," she said, smiling as he kissed her again.

They had a few days of peace before the other students began pouring in. It seemed that their quiet romance was over now that school was back in and the rumor mill was churning.

"Did you hear that? She just called me a slag! Mary freaking McDonald just called _me _a slag!"

"Yeah, but did you hear what she said you did? I'd call you a slag too!" Sirius laughed, unconcernedly.

"You're not helping, you know!"

"Am I supposed to be?" he said, grinning. She smacked him on the shoulder.

"I'm not a whore! Christ!"

"Well what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know-"

"OI! EVERYONE! VIENNA'S NOT A SLAG, OK? WE HAVEN'T EVEN DONE IT Y-" Sirius bellowed. The entire Great hall turned to stare at the pair of them. Vienna's face turned so red that it matched her Quidditch robes.

"You ass, what the hell?" she said, in a barely audible whisper as the Great Hall erupted into laughter.

"I don't know, it was funny," he said, chortling with the rest. She just shook her head and sprinted up the stairs.

"Starting off strong there Padfoot," James snickered as he descended the steps with Remus and Peter.

"Oh, can it James," he said, watching Vienna's fast retreating form.

"That probably wasn't the best solution," Remus said mildly.

"Yeah, I suppose. She's a lot more sensitive now, holy crap, she would've thought that was hysterical before."

"Well she's a girl, and therefore makes no sense," Peter said wisely. Remus just shook his head.

"Just don't broadcast whatever sex-capades you too have been on and I think you'll be fine, mate."

"That makes sense."

"No shit."

"So I should probably go apologize?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe you!" Lily stormed. "I told you not to go out with him! And what do you do? You go out with him!"

"But Lily-"

"Honestly, I don't know why I even try because you always do the exact opposite!"

"I think It's because you like me. Besides, nothing's going to go wrong!"

"What do you mean? Everything always goes wrong whenever someone dates one of them!"

"_Lily."_

"Don't you _Lily_ me! I'm only looking out for you!"

"I know you are! But I'm a big girl now and I have to make my own mistakes, and I don't think this is one!"

"Well remember that when it all falls to crap," Lily said, half smiling.

"I've got to go- I have Quidditch practice. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, see you."

Vi hopped off her four poster bed and gave Lily a reassuring hug before going down stairs. The common room was buzzing with noise. It seemed strange after the two weeks off near silence.

She ducked through the portrait hole and scurried down several staircases. She had almost reached the Great hall when a voice rang out behind her.

"Where you off to, Whore?" Snape said, a grin spreading on his greasy face. She knew he was baiting her, but she simply didn't care.

"Where the hell is Alden, she's fifteen minutes late!" James stormed.

"Haven't the foggiest," Sirius said, looking up at the castle anxiously.

"Well, we're starting without her. And if she ever decides to show up, she'll get a piece of my mind."

"Take it easy James, she's never been late before," Evie said kindly.

"Well except for that one time," Rodney said, grinning. "When she was snogging Nolan Whitman behind the greenhouses-"

"Shut up Rodney! That was like two years ago," Charlotte said angrily.

"Nu-uh, that was definitely last year-"

"How about you guys can it and we play some damn Quidditch?" James asked while Sirius ground his teeth.

Ten minutes later Vi sprinted onto the field, broom clutched under one arm as she gathered her hair into an extremely messy pony tail. James landed before she could kick off.

"WHAT THE HELL ALDEN, YOU'RE A HALF HOUR LATE!" James screamed.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry-"

"I DON'T CARE! WHY- Wait what happened to your face?" he said as he got a look at her. One eye was almost swollen shut and there were fresh bruises blooming on her face and hands. From the way she stood he guessed those weren't the only ones. There was a cut under her bad eye that was steadily bleeding.

"Nothing, I always look like this," she said grimly. "Let's get flying."

"No, seriously, what the hell happened?"

"Nothing." The others were landing now, drawn by the noise. Charlotte gasped when she saw her, while Rodney and Evie merely looked on with wide eyes. Jason just shook his head. Sirius landed last, dismounting next to James. His face was unreadable.

"What the hell happened?" James said angrily. "You can't just come here a half hour late looking like you just got kicked by a troll and not tell me what happened."

"James," she said, giving him a significant look. "We'll talk about this later-"

"We most certainly are not talking about this later!"

"JAMES."

"No Vi, we're talking about this now."

"No, we're not."

"Then I'll go to McGonagall."

"Go ahead. She would know about it anyway, seeing as she gave me detention for the next week."

James merely scowled. He knew he was out of ammunition, so he ordered everyone back on their brooms.

Sirius, however, ignored him. He took her by the arm and pulled her over by the entrance to the locker rooms.

"Vi, seriously, what happened?"

"I told you, nothing happened-"

"That's bullshit and you know it. What, you think I'm stupid enough to believe that this is what you always look like?"

"Clearly my swollen and discolored face is what brings all the boys to the yard," she said sarcastically, smirking. "That is _obviously_ why you are dating me."

"It's not funny Vi!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what happened."

"I fell into a giant cheese grater-"

"I'm not kidding-"

"FINE. Snape pissed me off so I punched him-"

"Snape did this to you?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"NO! Well not all of it, I think he might have done this," she said, gesturing to her split lip, "But then some other idiot Slytherin jumped in and voila! You have the hot mess you see here."

"Why didn't you just hex him?" Sirius asked in exasperation.

"Mainly because I'm a genius and didn't have my wand-"

"Why the hell didn't you have your wand?"

"Because I normally rely on my awesomeness to repel assholes." Sirius just shook his head angrily.

"Who was the other Slytherin."

"No one," she said sharply.

"I want to know who."

"I want to fly to Candy Mountain on a magical leoploridon, but we can't always have what we want."

"Give me a name. NOW." Sirius said, looking dangerous. She mumbled something indistinctly.

"Vienna," Sirius said angrily. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

"Regulus. Regulus Black."


	6. Feud

6. **feud **

"I'm going to kill him!" Sirius stormed.

"No, you're not," Vienna said angrily.

"Why the hell not?"

"Partially because it's illegal and partially because disemboweling horned toads together is not a romantic evening." He gave her an odd look.

"Oh, that's what I'm doing for detention," she sighed disgustedly. "It's repulsive, I know."

"I don't care; I'm still going to kill him!" Sirius almost shouted. James landed next to the pair looking angry.

"What the hell is going on? First you show up late, looking like-"

"I got the snot kicked out of me by a troll," she added helpfully. James shot her a look.

"And now Sirius is threatening to commit murder. So somebody better tell me what is going on before-"

"Regulus and Snape jumped Vi," Sirius snarled.

"_What?"_ James spluttered.

"It's not a big deal, I'm fine. Although if either one of you meatheads has a wand on you, I am bleeding profusely-"

"Shut up Vi, this doesn't involve you," Sirius said darkly, obviously not listening to a word she had just said. She snorted and muttered something under her breath before plucking his wand from his pocket.

"Hey!" he said indignantly. She rolled her eyes at him and pointedly said, "Episky," pointing his wand at her face.

"I can do that," he said kindly, reaching to take back his wand.

"It's ok," she said with a small smile, darting behind James.

"OI! PRACTICE IS OVER!" James yelled. The others dismounted, all staring at the three of them. James and Sirius didn't seem to notice.

Vienna noticed their distraction and plucked James's wand from his back pocket with a mumbled "Idiots." She shoved the pair of them into her sock without even finishing healing her face. Her swollen eye was gone, but purple bruises still hung heavy on her face.

Sirius and James stomped off the Quidditch field without another word. Vienna followed, jogging in order to keep up.

"I swear, when I see him, I'm going to-" Sirius made a violent motion. James nodded darkly.

"Sirius, I'm serious! Don't hurt him!"

"Why the hell not?" he said, whipping around in front of the great oak front doors.

"Because you're only going to get in trouble. And besides, I'm a big girl, I can handle my own problems!"

"Like hell you can!" was all he said before he pushed open the front doors to find Regulus standing right in front of him.

"Of all the bloody luck!" Vienna spat darkly.

James and Sirius reached for their wands at the exact same time. Regulus's eyes widened. They were grey, like Sirius's, but lacked the same warmth his possessed.

"Where's my?"

"What the?"

Vienna darted through the doors and over to the staircase as reality smacked them both in the face. James looked confused, but Sirius's gaze leapt right to her.

"Vi, give them back," he snarled.

"No," she said defiantly. "Then you'll just fight." She turned to Regulus. "I'd run if I were you," she said clinically. "You rotten twit," she added as an afterthought.

Sirius used his brother's preoccupation to his advantage and threw a right hook that sent him flying. Vienna jumped down from her perch on the stairs and ran to the pair, but Sirius had already jumped on the smaller boy and was pounding away. She pulled the wands from her sock and shoved them at a bewildered James before jumping on top of Sirius.

"Gerroff!" he snarled, trying to toss her. She slipped off and landed with a thud next to them. She quickly scrambled up and threw herself between them, catching one of Sirius's punches in the stomach.

"Ow," she said, the wind knocked out of her. The blow had brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh my god, Vienna, are you ok? I'm so sorry, I can't believe I-" Sirius spluttered.

"OW," she said again, giving him an incredulous look. She turned to look at Regulus, which was easy considering she was practically lying on his chest, the same dubious expression on her face. "Dude, you are a serious lightweight. Jesus," she gasped, clutching her stomach.

"Vienna, oh shit! I'm so sorry-"

"I'm good, semi-good, I guess I should say," she panted, turning back towards him. He pulled her up and crushed her to him. Regulus scrambled up and disappeared down the stairs that led to the Slytherin common room.

"I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine, really," she said, clutching her stomach.

"Vi, are you ok?" James asked quietly.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just going to go do stuff or something," she mumbled, walking towards the stairs.

"Are you sure you're ok, you're not making a whole lot of sense?"

"Jim-dandy-with-a-pancake-breakfast-and-sprinkles."

James turned to Sirius gravely. "I think she's finally cracked. Either that, or she smoked a whole shit-ton of something."

Sirius ignored him, following Vienna. She turned to him and gave him a miserable look. "I feel like I've kicked a puppy. Merlin, stop _looking _at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like it's your fault! You should be angry at me!"

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"Because it's all my fault, I was the one who punched Snape in the first place! If I had just kept my temper-"

"I don't care, I still punched you, that's not who I am-"

"I know it's not, but I'm the idiot who jumped between you two."

"You are an idiot." James snorted. She gave him a look.

They reached the portrait hole. James gave the Fat Lady the password ("Gurdyroots!") and climbed right through, but Sirius grabbed Vi's arm before she could climb through.

"Why does it matter so much that I wanted to kick my brother's arse anyway? He's a slimy jerk of a Slytherin and that's putting it nicely. You know he hangs out with Snape and Mulciber and all those guys you hate because they're going to be Death Eaters. What makes him any different?"

"Because no matter what a tool he is, he's still your brother. Just- never mind… You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

"It's stupid, just forget about it," she said before climbing through the portrait hole. She jumped over the couch, scaring the bejesus out of several third years, and practically flew over to where Remus was sitting by the fire, trying in vain to help Peter with his Transfiguration homework.

"Fix it before Sirius comes in and sees," she said, pulling up the fabric of her shirt and showing him most of her pale stomach, which was darkened in the centre by a dark blossoming bruise.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Just quick por favore," she said eyeing the portrait hole.

He waved his wand and the bruise seemed to melt away. She gave him a wide smile and tasted blood; the action had re-opened her split lip.

"Sit down," Remus said, rolling his eyes, "Let me finish patching you up."

"Good idea," she said genuinely, as if she hadn't thought about it. Remus doubted she had.

He waved his wand almost lazily over her face and the skin knitted back together, the purple of the bruises melting away.

"Would it do any good if I told you to stop getting yourself hurt?"

"Probably not," she said wincing as she leaned against his chair.

"There can't possibly be more!" he said in exasperation.

"It's just a bruised rib," she said lightly, though she made a face and adjusted he position so as not to lean on it.

"What did you do anyway?" Remus asked curiously.

"I'll tell you what she did," Sirius said, plopping down next to her. "She got beat up by Snape and my arse of a brother." Remus's eyes widened and Peter dropped his wand, which lit the hem of Vienna's robes on fire. Sirius stomped it out with his foot.

"I need my wand back by the way," he said, not quite looking at her.

"James has it," she said.

"He's upstairs," Peter said, reading the look on Sirius's face. He dashed upstairs without another word, leaving the three of them alone by the fire.

Vienna slumped forward, smacking her head against the coffee table and burying her head in her arms. "I am such a bloody idiot!" she groaned in a muffled voice.

"What's the matter now?" Remus asked kindly.

"I'm going to bed," she said, ignoring his question and scrambling up before making her way to the staircase that led to the girl's dormitory.


	7. Painful Memories

7. Painful Memories

Vienna darted out of the Portrait Hole before dawn had managed to creep into their dormitory. She knew Lily would eventually figure out what had happened the night before, and she didn't want to be their when she did.

She supposed she'd go to the hospital wing. Her side was really starting to bother her. She wondered idly if one of her ribs was cracked.

Madame Pomfry merely rolled her eyes when she came in. "Not you again!" she just gave the nurse a small smile.

"In my day, girls were careful, not always falling off their brooms or getting into fights!" Vienna resisted adding a snarky comment and kept her mouth shut, knowing it would get her out of there faster.

As it turned out, it was only bruised and Madame Pomfry took care of it in less than five minutes. When she was cleared to go she made her way down to the Great Hall, thinking longingly of a cup of hot tea. Her head was aching, despite Remus's spells.

Sirius's questions echoed in her head along with his tortured expression from the night before.

_What makes him any different?_

In truth, she knew, he wasn't any different. He wasn't Reggie. _He wasn't Reggie_. She'd told herself this over and over, but it didn't seem to make any difference. She just kept seeing his face over and over, blood running down his cheeks-

"Stop it!" she said, only realizing afterwards that she'd spoken out loud. It didn't matter though, the images kept coming. Of walking home from Bea's house, the door already open to her own little house, of her mother and father who could have been sleeping if not for the awkward angles at which they had fallen, and of Reggie, who looked as if he'd been torn apart by an animal. They'd wanted him to suffer for what he was, a freak by their standards.

When the Aurors got there, she'd still been screaming.

The papers hadn't reported his death, had barely reported on her parents. The story had slowly leaked out through word of mouth and by the time it had become mainstream knowledge no one remembered Reggie, no one knew or cared about his existence, except her.

He'd been fourteen years old.

She still had a picture of him that she carried around in the heavy gold locket around her neck. In the picture he was smiling and waving at the camera, clutching the chubby hand of her at six years old, with dark brown hair and blue eyes that matched his own, though his hair was jet black.

He was eleven, the year he should have started at Hogwarts.

He would have been at Hogwarts when they came.

It wasn't fair that he'd been a Squib. He'd always been astounded by magic, even as he got older and was used to it. He'd always encouraged her, never been angry that she was a Witch. That she'd been normal. That while he struggled with Algebra, she'd change the color of his sums, giggling madly.

Regulus reminded her a bit of him. She'd never been particularly fond of him, in fact she hated him just on principle for being a Slytherin, but there was something, something more than just the black hair and lanky physique. She thought it was perhaps the way in which he treated the younger students, at least from his house. She'd seen him many a time in the library, tutoring the younger students as they struggled in Transfiguration or Potions, sitting in endless patience until they got it…

_But he wasn't Reggie!_

She needed to get a serious grip. The way Sirius had looked at her after he'd hit her, that tortured, wild look, all because of her stupid delusions.

But she couldn't help herself. He'd looked so much like Reggie had when she'd found him, blood covering his face-"

"Stop it!" she said to herself once more, angrily covering her eyes with her hands, as if she could blot out the images filling her mind, the ones she'd become so _good_ at repressing.

"Stop what?" a familiar voice said. She dropped her hands from her face to see Sirius walking towards her, looking concerned.

"Nothing," she said quickly, "I just have that new Weird Sisters song stuck in my head."

"Oh yeah, I love that one!" he said enthusiastically. "So what are you doing up here so early anyways?"

"I just needed a walk," she said, trying for bright but failing miserably. Sirius's face clouded over at her tone.

"Look, about last night-"

"Sirius, it has nothing to do with last night," she lied. It did, but not because of the reasons he was surely thinking.

"No, Vi, I was completely out of line! I never would hit you!"  
"I know that, it was my fault. I was just being stupid. Can we just forget about it?" she said, nervously clutching at the locket she wore at her throat.

"Vi, stop it, I know when your upset. Just stop lying to me! Just tell me what's going on! You've been acting really weird and I just want to know what's going on so I can help-"

"You can't help," she said dully.

"I knew you were mad at me for hitting you, and you should be! Just tell me how I can make this right!"

"It's not about that!" she nearly shouted. "For crying out loud, I've told you, I'm not angry with you. It's got nothing to do with you!"

"Then what does it have to do with?" he asked in a soothing voice. "Just tell me." She turned away, twirling the locket faster. It popped open, a tiny piece of paper tumbling out. She didn't notice.

"Sirius, I just need a little space right now, just let me think," she said before practically sprinting off. Sirius stared after her, looking confused and hurt. He started after her when something caught his eye. It was the little piece of paper that had fallen from Vienna's locket. He picked it up and turned it over.

It showed a little girl, unmistakably Vi with an older boy who looked to be around eleven or twelve. At first glance he thought he was looking at his own little brother, but soon realized his mistake. The boy had blue eyes instead of grey and absolutely lacked the arrogance in which Regulus carried himself with.

He turned it over again, looking at the back once more. Someone had written on the back in unfamiliar loopy writing.

Reginald and Vienna

1966

Sirius stared again at the picture before darting off in the direction Vi had set off in.


	8. Half Truths Are Just Lies

8. Half-Truths are Just Lies

"Did you know Vi had a brother?" Sirius asked Remus as they studied in the library. James was a little way off, spying on Lily, while Peter listened with poorly concealed interest.

"No, I thought she was an only child," Remus said, sounding mildly interested.

"I did too, but look," he said, shoving the picture under his nose. Peter craned his neck to get a better view.

"It could just be her cousin," Remus said, returning to his astronomy paper.

"It's not her cousin, I looked it up," Sirius said, pulling an old Daily Prophet from his bag.

"Why? You could have just asked her."

"Because I'm pretty sure she's mad at me."

"I don't think so; I just think she's weird. She kept banging her head on the table last night," Peter added. Sirius ignored him.

"Look, there's a birth announcement in the Prophet for a Reginald Alden to Cynthia and Magnus Alden in '56," Sirius said unfolding the paper. "Those were her parents, right?" Remus nodded. "So then in 1960 there's Vienna's birth announcement, again to Cynthia and Magnus Alden. So that means that this must be her brother, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Where'd you get this anyways?" Remus said, holding up the picture.

"Fell out of her locket. So anyways, wouldn't he have been here when we started? Vienna's the only Alden to come here since Magnus."

"Maybe he went to Beauxbatons?"

"Where did you get that?" a voice said suddenly behind Remus. They all looked up, startled.

"Hey Vi," Sirius said nonchalantly, trying to shove the Prophets out of sight. She stopped him, glancing quickly at the two papers.

"Where did you guys get that and what are you doing with those," she said snatching the photo from Remus and securing it back into her heavy golden locket.

"Err," Sirius and Remus said, looking guiltily at each other.

"Sirius is trying to figure out if you have a brother," Peter piped up helpfully. Sirius gave him a dark look.

She stared at them hard for a moment. "You could have just asked me."

"Do you have a brother?" Sirius said with what he clearly thought was a winning tone.

"Not anymore," she said, walking away.

"What do you mean you don't have a brother anymore?" Sirius asked for the twentieth time as they set out for the Quidditch pitch.

"Sirius, just drop it."

"No, this has something to do with the whole Regulus thing, doesn't it? It's because Regulus looks like Reginald, isn't it?"

"Sirius-"

"I'm not going to stop asking until you tell me-"

"Fine!" she said harshly and stopped dead in her tracks before whipping around to face him. "He's dead. He was at the house when the Death Eaters came for my parents and they tore him to pieces since he was a Squid and let him bleed to death on the floor. And he was alive when I found him and I couldn't save him. I watched my big brother die and all I did was scream. Happy?"

Her eyes bored into him, her jaw sent.

"Oh my god, Vi, I didn't know!" Sirius said, reaching a hand towards her. She shook him off and stomped to the locker room, slamming the door behind her.

"Jesus, Vi, chill out," James said as she paced back and forth across the locker room. Sirius eyed her guiltily. She opened her mouth, seemed to think better of it and shot him a dirty look before laying on one of the benches and staring at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Alright team, time to beat Slytherin's ass!" James yelled and they filed out onto the field.

"Vi, I'm sorry-" Sirius started.

"Just shut up , we'll talk later," she growled under her breath.

Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the fourteen player shot up into the air. A Bludger went whizzing by James's head and Vienna dove at it, sending it hurtling at the Slytherin Chaser Evan Moriarty with such ferocity that it knocked him off his broom.

"Vi's really going at it," Remus commented as she was getting shouted at by Madame Hooch for punching Avery in the face. "She didn't even try to make that look like an accident."

"I don't know what's been wrong with her lately," Lily said, peering through her binoculars. "She's been acting really weird ever since she got into that fight with Snape and Regulus."

"Yeah," Remus said. _That and when Sirius decided to see whether or not she had a brother._

Vienna, it seemed, had quickly gone from a damn good Beater to a homicidal, club-wielding maniac. The Slytherin players were soon scattering when she approached, mainly because she didn't seem to care if she connected with Bludger or human.

"Time OUT!" James called, signaling Madame Hooch. They landed on the field to tumultuous applause.

"Ok guys, you're doing awesome," James said, smiling from ear to ear. "We're winning 60-0 so keep it up. Vienna, I don't know what's gotten into you but-"

"Shut _up_ James, I'm not in the mood," she snarled.

"Keep it up," he finished, unfazed by her complete lack of respect. They shot into the air and play recommenced, just as violently as before. The Slytherin Beaters, Acoryn and Besley, now had one target and one target only and that was Vienna. She was able to dodge almost all of them, but her current mood didn't help her reasonable side.

Then two things happened at once. James and Regulus both went into heart stopping dives while a Bludger hit by Belsley connected with Vienna's elbow. With a loud snap it bent in the other direction. She cried out, yelling thing at Belsley that would have gotten her kicked out of the game had Madame Hooch heard her. Then the Bludger went rocketing back towards her.

"Sirius!" she yelled, hitting it towards him. He in turn wailed it at Regulus, knocking him from his broom eight feet from the ground. James continued to dive, pulling up at the last possible second, hand raised high, clutching a speck of gold.

The stadium erupted into cheers as James circled the pitch in triumph, giving very rude hand gestures to the Slytherins below him. No one noticed Vienna slip off her broom and plummet the last fifteen or so feet to the ground.

"Nice game," said a voice to her left. She looked over, groaning. It was Regulus, lying a few feet from her.

She turned and stared in turn at the sky. "Hello? Did you knock your brains out when you fell?" he asked somewhat sarcastically. She ignored him, closing her eyes.

"Hey, what's-your-face, I should probably learn your name seeing as your sleeping with my brother."

She turned and shot him daggers. "I am _not_ sleeping with your brother and we are _not _friends!"

"Oh, _sure_ you're not sleeping with my brother. Everyone sleeps with my brother. Hope you don't catch anything."

"I'm more likely to catch _stupid_ lying next to you," she shot back.

"Hey! I was trying to be nice to you-"

"Well stop, I don't need your charity."  
"I wasn't- I was trying- Uhg! I'm trying not to owe you!"

"Why do you owe me?" she asked, dropping her hostile tone for a minute.

"Because you jumped in when Sirius was beating the crap out of me. _After_ I had already knocked the snot out of you."

"You don't owe me anything-"

"Yeah I do, that's how it works."

"Then fine, you can do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't be an asshole."

Sirius landed next to her a big grin on his face. "We won! 180-0!"

"Great," she said trying to smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked, reading her face.

"Well, my arm is broken and I just fell fifteen feet or so…" she said trailing off. She shut her eyes, waiting for him to reply. He didn't, but merely picked her up like an overgrown baby. Her eyes flew open.

"Put me down," she said angrily.

"No," he said, still smiling.

"I'm serious!"

"No I-" she threw her good hand over his mouth.

"That's not funny!"

"You know it is," he said grinning crookedly. She sighed and leaned back against his shoulder, shaking her head.


	9. Walls

9. Walls

"I'm sorry you know," Sirius said and they walked around the lake the next day.

"I thought you were Sirius," Vienna said with a smile.

"Vienna, I'm not joking. I was just curious, you know, I've never met any of your family."

"That's because they're all dead. Well, except for Auntie, but she's senile. She'd probably think you were her dead husband. She always thinks I'm my mum," she said unconcernedly, taking a piece of toast from the stack Sirius held.

"I'm serious-"

"I told you-"

"I'm really sorry about bringing up your brother. I would have never…" he trailed off watching her. She was shredding the piece of toast into tiny pieces, eyes cast determinedly downward.

"You're the only one I ever told," she said finally looking up. "I never wanted to tell anyone. I never wanted anyone to know that I just stood there. I couldn't even give him a hug or try to _do_ something to help. I just stood there." Fat tears were running down her face. She tossed her handful of bread crumbs into the lake.

"Vienna-"

"And that's not the worst part," she said suddenly. "He asked me to help him- And I c-couldn't. I didn't know how and I was too scared to try. So he just said 'I love you 'Enna, I know you'll be great when you grow up.' And then, and then-" Her legs seemed to give way and she sat down hard on the grass, brown now that the snow had melted. Sirius ducked down and took her into his arms.

"It's ok," he said stroking her hair as she cried. They sat like that for a long time until Vienna stopped shaking.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Vienna said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong, I was just angry. And you were right, the whole Regulus thing was about Reggie- I just- I don't know. He sort of reminds me of him sometimes. And I-"

"Vienna, it's not a big deal, I understand now."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Sirius still stroking her hair.

"Sirius?" she asked after a while.

"Mm-hmm," he said into her hair.

"No offense, but I don't want to meet your mum. I saw her at the train in fourth year and she called me a filthy, vermin-sinking blood traitor because I accidentally trod on her toe."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "That sound about right. Come on, it's freezing out here, let's get back to the castle."

They stood up and Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder contentedly.

"Sirius?" she asked again.

"Yeah?"

"Can you not tell the others about Reggie please? I haven't even told Lily. I'd just rather it stayed between you and me."

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."


	10. Glass Houses

10. Glass Houses

"Lily…" Vienna said in her sweetest voice.

"Oh my god, who'd you kill?" Lily asked and then laughed, turning back to her toenails, which she was painting bright pink on her bed.

"I didn't kill anyone," she said indignantly. "But you have to promise you won't freak out."

"Promise," she said without looking up.

"James is having a party on Saturday in the common room-"

"I know," she said unconcernedly.

"You do?"

"Uh huh."

"And you're not mad?"

"Nope."

"And you're not going to go all Little-Miss-Prefect?"

"Hey!"

"James's words, not mine. So you're not going to tell Professor McGonagall?"

"No."

"Or Dumbledore?"

"No."

"Or James's mother?"

"Now that you mention it," Lily said smiling devilishly.

"LILY!"

"I'm not going to! Jeez," she said, obviously still picturing James's face if his mother showed up.

"Are you sure you you're alright? Is this actually Lily? Are you Impersed?"

"I'm FINE!" Lily said laughing. "I'm looking forward to it, actually. I was going to go look in Hogsmeade for a new shirt or something. Do you want to come?"

"Sure, I haven't been shopping in ages," Vienna said enthusiastically.

"That's because you've spent the last two Hogsmeade visits snogging Sirius."

"Shut up Evans," she said jokingly, making a face at Lily.

"Done!" Lily called, waving her wand over her toes to dry the polish. "Let's go before The rest of them get down there. I'm tired of James always asking me to go with him."

"So maybe if you go he'll stop asking."

"Or he'll never stop."

"So what's the loss then? He hasn't stopped since the end of fifth year. Maybe if you just go with him and then snog him terribly he'll never want to go with you again. Problem solved."

"I would never," Lily said laughing.

"Then you'll never know," Vienna said, grinning widely.

"Never know what?" James asked, making the pair of them jump.

"Nothing," Lily said quickly.

"Hypothetically, would you stop asking someone out if they were a terrible snogger," Vienna asked quickly as Lily stomped on her foot.

"Well, um, no," James said eying Lily. "I guess we'd just have to practice."

"So that plan won't work," Vienna said, turning back to Lily, who looked halfway between mortified and amused.

They set off for the Great Hall, James once again retelling his "epic" Quidditch victory. "And then the crowd went wild and everyone was cheering for me-"

"At least they didn't notice me fall off my bloody broom," Vienna laughed.

"I did," Sirius said appearing behind her. She jumped.

"Me too," Remus said, grinning at her look of surprise.

"It was pretty funny," Peter said with a huge grin.

"You're my least favorite right now," Vienna said giving him a dirty look. "It most certainly did not feel funny." Peter looked slightly abashed.

"So what's the plan, Hot Lips?" Sirius asked, affectionately bumping into her shoulder. James mimed throwing up. Lily looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"Really, Romeo?" Vienna asked, trying very hard not to smile. "Hot Lips?"

"It's one of the more appropriate nicknames for your dazzling attributes. Two of my personal favorites being-"

"Shut your dirty little mouth!" she said, punching him on the arm while James, Remus and Peter roared with laughter. Lily rolled her eyes.

"What? I was going to say eyes!" he said, fake hurt clear on his face with his eyes glinted devilishly.

"Yeah, sure, buddy," Vienna said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, me and Lily are going dress shopping for your little shindig."

"I thought we were just looking for a new shirt or something," Lily said. "Isn't that a little fancy."

"James, yay or nay on fancy?" Vienna asked in a mock serious voice.

"Yay!" James said in a very good imitation of Mary McDonald- the school gossip's-voice. Vienna sniggered, glancing at Mary a few people ahead of them in line. She tossed her perfectly coiffed blonde hair as if she knew they were talking about her.

"Don't be mean!" Lily said, punching him in the arm. "She's not that bad-"

"Compared to what?"

"Shut up!"

Filch checked them off the list with a grunt, giving the four boys a dirty look he reserved specifically for them.

They branched off as they reached the little village. The boys scampered off towards Zonko's while Lily and Vienna walked up the hill to Gladrags Wizard Wear.

"I've never actually been in here," Lily said as they pushed open the door.

"Really?" Vi asked. "This place is awesome! They have the best socks." Lily looked at her questioningly, but she merely pointed to a pair on the wall that was flashing neon orange and pink.

"Erm, ok?" Lily said nervously.

"Come on, dress robes are over there."

They began rifling through the rack designated for dress robes.

"Those'll look great with your hair," Vienna said pointing to a set of lurid pink robes. She sniggered and turned back to the rack. "So what's the big interest in Potter's parties all the sudden?" She asked non-chalantly. To her surprise, Lily went pink.

"No-"

"Shut up!" Lily said, giggling. "All I've decided is that he's less of a prat than I thought."

"_Right,"_ Vienna said with obvious skepticism. "Spill."

"That's all! I swear!"

"You're lying so hard right now! Anyways, suddenly requited love demands these." She said, tossing her a pair of dress robes.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."


	11. You and Me

11. You And Me

"I still can't believe I bought these," Lily said, eyeing the emerald green robes in the mirror. Truly they were more of a dress, with thin straps and an empire waist, the whole thing done up with beading.

"You're welcome," Vienna said as she swiped on some mascara, her long dark hair in rollers.

"Are you sure?"

"YES," she practically yelled, turning to give Lily a piercing look.

"Well…ok…er, thanks then," Lily said sheepishly.

"It's ok," Vienna said, turning back to the mirror. "Just know that you'll be the most beautiful one out there and have some fun! It's about time you let your hair down. Though with that dress you should probably wear it up."

"Ah, the paradoxes in life, eh?" Lily said, pinning her auburn locks in a halo around her head. Vienna snorted as she unrolled her hair. "Very lady-like," Lily laughed.

"I really do try."

Vienna examined herself in the mirror for a long moment, tugging at her red dress and smoothing down her hair. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to Lily. She picked up a small jeweled comb from their vanity table and slipped it into her hair, pinning back a section from her face.

"Perfect. Now let's go."

They descended the staircase carefully so as not to tear their dresses. They could already hear the Weird Sisters new song blasting through the door. They opened the door tentatively and gasped when they saw the common room.

It was completely unrecognizable. The furniture had been pushed against the walls and a large table had been set up by the fire were it looked like Peter was spinning records. Red silk hug from the ceiling and walls, giving the illusion of being in a tent while small white flowers cast an odd glow down on the dancers.

"_Lilies,"_ Vi said with a conspicuous look. Lily playfully punched her in the arm.

"Ow!"

Well maybe not that playfully.

"Hey you guys! Lily you look- Wow," James said, not even looking at Vienna, who was smiling knowingly.

"Told you," she whispered to Lily. "James, do you know where Sirius is?"

"Yeah he's bouncing people up by the Portrait Hole."

"Sweet! I've always wanted to bounce someone!" Vienna said with undisguised enthusiasm. She scampered off, hiking her dress up to her knees.

"And the illusion shatters," Remus said, sideling up to the pair of them. "How long until she hexes somebody?"

"Ten minutes," James said, grinning widely.

"Hey!" Vienna said, reappearing. "Keep running your mouth like that and it'll be five Jamesie."

"Weren't you looking for Sirius?" James asked pointedly.

"Yes, but then I realized I left my friend in the clutches of a mad-man."

"You couldn't find him, could you?"

"Nope," she said with a smile.

"Is he?" Remus asked, turning to James and giving him a meaningful look.

"Should be," James replied.

"Should be what?" Lily asked.

"Should be in the corridor," Remus said quickly, ducking through the Portrait Hole.

"I just looked!"

"Well you must've missed him." Remus stepped out into the corridor and whistled.

"Why are you whistling, I told you he wasn't here," Vienna said, giving Remus a strange look.

"What are you talking about? He's right over there," Remus said and sure enough Sirius was strolling down the hall in ink black dress robes. Vienna gave Remus a bemused look. "You sure you don't need glasses?"

"I- he- Shut up Lupin!" she said staring back and forth between the two, clearly bewildered. The two laughed at her confused expression. "I was just out here- I- URG!" She spun on her heel and stomped back to the common room.

Remus laughed as she departed, the fabric of her red dress swishing behind her.

"Sirius," he whispered, still laughing. "You're going to make her suspicious!"

"You should have seen her face," Sirius said, shaking with laughter. "She comes out all lady-like and looks around and then down the hall, all the while I'm following her, and then she just goes "Where the fuck did he go?" and hikes up her dress and climbs into the Portrait Hole."

Remus rolled his eyes and they both climbed inside. Sirius had no problem figuring out where Vienna had got to. However, he did have a hard time understanding why Lily was talking to James. And not hexing him or screaming at him.

He shrugged and made his way over to the window where Vienna was perched. She was tracing something onto the foggy glass, something that greatly resembled-

"Are you writing our initials together in little hearts?" he asked, grinning widely. She jumped and quickly smeared the writing with her palm.

"No!" she replied defensively, color rising in her cheeks. "I was- I was-"

He didn't let her finish. "That's kinda cute- In a pathetically love-struck teenage girl kind of way." Her face was scarlet. "Come on, let's dance."

Sirius, quite literally, swept her off of her feet. He pulled her onto the dance floor and spun her around as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Which, for her, it most certainly was not.

She despised dancing, mainly because she was abysmal at it, stumbling across her own toes. But it was different with Sirius. He didn't make her feel awkward and he laughed when she caught her toe, not maliciously, but merely took the opportunity to catch her and plant a kiss on her lips.

She sighed, folding into his arms. She felt safe with him, now more than ever that he had learned her secret. It was like he was maturing, like they were-

"LILY AND JAMES SITTING IN A TREE-" Sirius burst as he caught sight of the pair dancing. Lily turned red and stalked off while James gave Sirius a very rude hand gesture.

Well, she could always hope.


	12. Slipping

12. Slipping

Winter leaked into spring, spring to summer. The peace was jarred more and more frequently by rumors of Voldemort's gaining strength, of more attacks, disappearances and even deaths. But it seemed distant, far from the safe halls of Hogwarts, protected, as always, by Albus Dumbledore. Soon it was June, exams finished, time slipping away at an alarming pace. Sirius and Vienna were sitting under a tree by the lake, invisible under its trailing branches, watching the Giant Squid propel itself over the surface of the black water, having the same argument they had been having for a month.

"Why not apply for a seat on the Wizangamot?" Sirius asked.

"You know there not taking any applicants under thirty-five, and anyway, I don't want to spend the whole day with a bunch of old codgers sending Death Eaters to jail, or rather letting then out, from what I hear, if they give enough names." She said easily.

"What about Magical Law enforcement?"

"Nope," she said leaning back and staring at him upside-down.

"Experimental Charms?"

"Nope."

"Healing?"

"God no."

"Curse breaking?"

"How about you take up knitting?" she laughed.

"If I do, will you give up on the Auror thing?"

"Not a chance." He sighed. Why was she so difficult?

"We don't need the money. You could stay at home!"

"And you're going to stab Voldemort to death with a knitting needle?" She said jokingly, but her eyes remained serious. "I'll be fine! I still have a year of school and two years of training before I get any field work and by then the war could be over!" They both knew this was wishful thinking.

"You know that won't happen…" They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's just something I have to do."

"I know, I just wish you wouldn't."

"I still love you."

"I know."

He reached out to cradle her face, kissing her hungrily. She leaned in, throwing her arms around his neck. He ran his fingers through her hair, relishing the softness of it, its scent, like spring. She explored his body, memorizing his face, his neck, his chest with her delicate fingers. She rolled on top of him, straddling him and began kissing him more fiercely, when-

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" he heard her high pitched shriek of terror as she was torn away from him, and heard a loud splash as she broke the surface of the lake.

"JAMES!" she cried as he heard a snigger from behind the tree. He whirled around to see his closest friend doubled over in silent laughter. He shook his head, shoved him over and said, "Wait 'till Vienna gets a hold of you!" rather angrily before pushing through the canopy of leaves to find where Vienna had landed.

James's spell had sent her far out into the middle of the lake, where she was now swimming toward shore, looking livid. She reached shore in a matter of minutes, from which Sirius helped her out of the water. She was shivering from the icy water.

"J-J-James, I'm-m going-g-g t-t-to kill you." She chattered. "It's-s-so c-c-c-cold!"

"It's June, how can it be cold?" James said still laughing. She shoved him into the lake with a laugh.

"Holy shit! You weren't kidding!"

"What's all this yelling?" Remus called pushing the canopy of willow branches aside. "Oh it's you… three?" he said confusedly as James climbed out of the lake, soaking wet.

"Why are you? I mean what?" he spluttered.

"James is being an arse," Vi said by way of explanation, while she was wringing out her hair. James grinned.

"You look like a drowned rat Alden," James chuckled.

"You don't look so great yourself Potter," she said, suppressing a smile. "Where did my wand go? It was right-" she stopped, staring around. "Oh shit! It was in my pocket!" She patted her pockets desperately but to no avail.

"Accio!" Remus called and the thin stick of wood shot out of the water.

"Thanks Remus," she said smiling. Then she frowned, looking frustrated. "Oh my God, it's completely soaked!"

"When duh, it was in a lake," Sirius said teasingly.

"I know that! Just- no, just watch. Incendio!" A jet of boiling water shot out. "Stupid temperamental-"

"Sounds like someone I know," James said with a pointed look at Vienna. She ignored him.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked suddenly.

"Four, why?"

"I have to go! Shoot! I told Lily I'd be there a half hour ago!" she said looking frazzled. She kissed Sirius quickly before scampering off.

"What's up with her?" James asked, plopping down in the shade.

"Studying I guess," Sirius said, looking at her retreating figure with a trace of annoyance.

"Which is what you two should be doing," Remus said with a teasing smile, cracking open his Transfiguration book.

"Study? Please!" Sirius scoffed jokingly. "Well I have to go," Sirius said, getting up.

"Where're you off to? We just got here!"

"Um, the library," he said vaguely.


	13. As the Walls Come Crumbling Down

13. As the Walls come Crumbling Down

Everything was perfect for a few short months. Lily wasn't happy about it but soon gave up trying to convince Vi to dump him. Remus was quieter than usual, but James found the whole thing hilarious.

Then everything fell apart.

It was June 27th when she got the letter.

She knew something was wrong at soon as she saw it. It was a thick rumpled envelope stamped with the seal of the Ministry. She pulled out a folded square of parchment along with another, smaller, white envelope. A Muggle envelope. She almost dropped it when she saw the return address.

She ripped it open in the Owlery, dropping the envelope to the ground because of her shaking hands. She read the letter in haste, her eyes skimming the paper so fast, they were almost blurs. It took her two or three times to actually comprehend the words written plainly on the paper. Her vision blurred over with tears as she understood.

She ran down the step to the main school and through the portrait hole before skidding to a halt. She looked around franticly but there was no one there. She glanced through the window to see if she could pick out Lily's bright locks or Sirius's dark ones, but was too far away.

She wandered down stair slowly this time, a strange empty sadness filling her. She walked down the marble steps in a daze. She was so distracted that she didn't hear the racket coming from the broom cupboard until someone hissed "Sirius." She strode idly to the closed door, thinking it was Sirius and James stealing cleaning potions for another prank of some sort. She just needed someone to talk to, someone to tell.

She opened the door without thinking to find Sirius and some seventh year glued together. They were kissing passionately, the seventh year's blouse unbuttoned almost to her navel.

The letter shook in her hand, whether from anger shock or hurt, she couldn't tell. She should say something, yell at them, rip the slag off of her boyfriend, she knew, but all she could do was stand there, her face a blank mask.

The cold draft seemed to bring them to their senses. They unstuck themselves, Sirius pushing the girl from him, eyes wide. But Vienna simple stood there, expressionless, clutching the letter.

"Sorry for interrupting," she said tonelessly and turned on her heel, striding toward the front door.

"Vi, wait!" Sirius called, trying to push past as the seventh year scuttled off without further ado but he slipped on something. He picked it up; it was the piece of paper she had been clutching. It read:

Dear Ms. V. Alden,

We regret to inform you that your Aunt, Mrs. Gloria Baker has recently passed away. All necessary arrangements have been made per Mrs. Baker's written request. The service will be held on June 28th at 9:45. We would like to express our deepest condolences over your loss.

Sincerely,

Monte Funeral Home

He staggered out, looking wildly for her, but she had disappeared.


	14. The Mourning After

14. The Morning After

She had stayed in her Aunt's house only long enough for the funeral before selling it to a lovely young couple with a new baby. She could feel the weight of death hanging in the house, the same way it had when her family had died.

She moved to a flat in the heart of London, barely big enough to turn around in but situated in the busiest section, full of noise and people. It was leased under the name Violet Addams, making it almost impossible for anyone to find her.

And luckily that almost meant Lily, who of course could find her anywhere. That's what best friends are for after all. She stayed for two days, fussing over her and waiting for the breakdown she was sure was to come, but in vain. Vi seemed normal, almost too normal, like she was trying too hard. Lily left her number and stopped in from time to time, occasionally coming with Remus who had taking to hanging out with Lily on weekends. It seemed the Marauders were spending a weirdly separate summer.

Vi had taken to working at a local coffee shop on mornings for something to do. She had to keep busy somehow or she thought she'd go mad. Like the time she thought she saw him at work, how the man who bought the small coffee and bagel's hair was over-long and flipped just the way his did. He had looked at her as though he recognized her, but she had run, calling to the other girl working there that she was feeling ill, that she needed to go home. She had rushed home, taking the back way and double locking the door as she threw herself in, breathing hard. She looked in the mirror hanging in the bathroom. _He recognized me._ She thought. _I still look the same, he saw me._ She looked sadly at her waist length waves before slicing them off with a flick of her wand. With another flick her hair was shoulder length and black as night.

She wasn't sleeping. At least not at night. She couldn't, not with all those images swirling around in her brain. She could barely stand to see Remus, with all the memories of him intertwined so thoroughly. It was unfair; he had been nothing but kind to her whenever he came, but she couldn't help it. She saw his face swimming beside his. Instead she walked the streets, staying awake through sheer willpower and caffeine, sometimes staying awake for days on end. Sometimes she could forget for a while, until the next letter came.

They started coming on a Tuesday. At first she just ignored them but soon they piled up and at last in a fit of frustration, she stuffed them all under a loose floor board and resolved to burn them at the next possible opportunity.

She didn't know how to handle this; the pain, the heartbreak, the betrayal. So she simply didn't, allowing it to bottle up inside of her, eating her away.

It was during one of her night time wandering that she'd met Euan, who in turn had introduced her to the wild nightlife of London.

Euan was tall, with longer hair than her. His was blonde and his hair looped down his back in lazy spirals. He smelled like cigarettes and leather and whiskey. He wore band t-shirts displaying titles like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and the Beatles, bands she'd never even heard of. He was a Muggle and she knew he was trouble.

That suited her just fine.


	15. Nature of My Game

15. Nature of My Game

Euan was a douche bag, she knew that much. He was idiotic and sarcastic and sometimes downright mean, but he knew just about everyone in the city.

Or at least everyone who could get him in anywhere cool.

And it was much easier to keep yourself awake when you were standing in front of some hairy guy wailing on a guitar.

They were no Weird Sisters, but she had to admit, they were pretty good.

He met her outside after the concert, tossing her a t-shirt that he most likely stole.

"Thanks," she said, knowing enough not to ask. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one offering her the pack. She normally refused, but tonight her head was pounding and she took one. Euan raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

They wandered down a side street in silence. They were only a few blocks from her flat.

The silence was different with Euan, not quite uncomfortable, but not easy like it'd been with Sirius.

_Stop thinking about him_.

"Who's that bloke sitting on your stoop?" Euan asked as her flat came into sight. "Is that your friend Regan or whatever?"

"Remus?" she said, staring dumbfounded at the figure.

His head spun towards her as she called his name. "What are you doing here?" she asked, wincing slighting as she realized the sharp tone of her voice.

"Looking for you," he said, brushing off his trousers as her stood up, his light brown hair falling into his eyes. "Lily's been frantic, you haven't written in two weeks."

"Lily needs to concentrate on herself. I'm fine," she said, taking another drag on her cigarette. She had to admit, they weren't half as bad as she thought they'd be.

"Yeah, sure you're fine."

"Why don't we all go out for a drink?" Euan suggested. Anything was an excuse for a drink for Euan.

"Fine," Vi said, tossing her cigarette into the bin. Remus just stared at her, biting his cheek.

They walked to the bar in _very_ uncomfortable silence. Remus walked stiffly ahead, Vi slouching in the middle. Euan barely seemed to notice.

"Vienna, I need to talk to you for a second," he said as the approached the thresh hold of the bar. "Regan, do'ya think you could get us a booth?"

"It's Remus, and sure," he said, giving Vi one more look before stepping inside.

Euan smiled serenely until Remus was out of sight, then his face turned stormy. "Who is he?" he snarled, pushing her into the window of the bar.

"I've told you, he's just a friend," she said. "Stop it Euan, you're hurting me." He glanced down at his hands, which held the top of her arms. He let go, seeming to realize what he'd done and then wound up and slapped her hard across the face. Her head cracked back against the glass and she slumped to the ground.

"What the hell's going on here?" Remus asked, reappearing.

"Nothing, Remus," Vienna said quietly, one hand holding her cheek.

"That's right, _nothing_, Regan," Euan sneered.

Remus drew his wand staring at Euan with loathing in his eyes. "I've taken care of plenty of guys for a lot less than "_nothing,"_ Remus said darkly.

"Remus, _don't_," Vi said quietly.

"Nice drumstick Regan," Euan sneered. The Vi stuck a leg out and kicked his legs out from under him.

She was on top of him before he hit the ground, her pale arms like streaks of light as she pummeled every inched of him she could reach.

It was over nearly as fast as it stared. She sat on his chest, eyes boring into him. He had what looked like a broken nose and several bruises blooming over his skin.

"Don't you _ever_ hit another girl again, do you understand me?" she snarled.

"_Bitch,"_ he spat back. She smiled sarcastically. "Thanks honey," she shot back, getting to her feet. Remus offered her a hand, which she took and they began walking in the opposite direction. Remus turned to her and gave her an appraising look.

"You _are_ a piece of work, you know that?"

She just laughed.


	16. Untold

16. Untold

"I don't get it Vi," Remus said shaking his head as they sat outside a little café. "Why the hell were you going out with him? He's a total wanker."

Vienna didn't answer. She was staring down the street vacantly, a can of soda clutched against her face where a large red wheel was appearing.

"Earth to Vi!" he said, waving his hand in front of her eyes. She turned back to him though it seemed like it took her a few seconds to focus.

"Remus, I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly.

"Why not? You're getting out of control Vienna. Smoking, drinking-"

"Oh shut it Remus it's not like you and-" she broke off.

"Yeah, me, James, Pete, and _Sirius_ go drinking sometimes," he said. She flinched at Sirius's name. "Honestly Vienna, it's been over a month. Why don't you just talk to him?"

"Remus, I can't," she said in almost a whisper. "I can't be in the same room as him. I- I don't know what I'll do."

"I do. You'll probably hex him and get it over with and then you two can start to go back to normal."

"There is no normal Remus. I can't get over what he did," she turned away and stared down the street again. "I trusted him. And he didn't care."

A great black dog plodded over and looked at the pair of them with sad grey eyes. Vienna stroked his head absently, her expression bleak. Remus buried his head in his arms.

"Remus," she said suddenly. Remus looked up, giving the dog a dirty look. "I loved him, you know that? Really loved him. And he broke my heart." She fell silent again, stroking the black dog behind the ears.

"Don't tell him I said that Remus," she said quietly before standing up. She gave the dog a final pat before saying, "That's the great thing about dogs. They're loyal. They don't leave you for some slag in a broom cupboard. They just love you for who you are."

She turned and gave him a small smile. "See you Remus."

"Look after yourself Vi," he said seriously. She just gave him a small smile before disappearing into the night.

"Still think this was a good idea?" Remus said angrily to the dog. But the dog had disappeared and in his place sat a handsome young man with slightly overlong black hair, who had buried his head in his hands.

"Yeah," he said gruffly. "I do."


	17. All The King's Men

17. All The King's Men

"Just go talk to him!"

"No!"

"Hit him then! It'll make you feel better-"

"I don't care. I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"So what?" Vienna snapped at Lily. They were standing outside of the scarlet steam engine, bickering. Vienna's short hair was pulled back in a headband, falling in waves to her shoulders. She was dressed in a threadbare sweater and a pair of ripped jeans. She looked paler than normal and gaunt.

Lily was almost the complete opposite. She was a picture of health; a light tan made her skin glow and her red hair was loosely braided over her shoulder. If it weren't for the scowl firmly planted on her face she would be a picture of perfection.

"Look at you! You look horrible-"

"_That's_ good for my self-esteem."

Lily ignored her. "And it's all because of him! How did you let him do this to you?"

"I didn't let him do anything!"

"Really? Because I don't think the whole depressed thing works for you."

"Lily, just chillout," She said stepping onto the train. Lily followed, giving her a dirty look.

"Well, I'll be up front if you need me. I have to go and give out the Prefect duties."

"Do you know who the new Head Boy is yet?"

"No," Lily said distractedly. "I thought it would be Remus but… I'll tell you when I find out!"

"Alright, see you," Vienna said with a small smile. The moment Lily hurried off her face fell.

She pulled her trunk down to the end of the train, finding an empty compartment and depositing her stuff onto the luggage rack. She had just leaned back and closed her eyes when the compartment door opened.

"Find another compartment, this one is full," she said without opening her eyes. Silence. "Snape, I am not in the mood right now, seriously, go hex Potter or Black or something."

"It's not Snape," said a familiar voice. She stiffened.

"Where the hell is Snape when you need him?" she muttered, annoyed. She opened up her eyes and turned to face Sirius, her face cynical. She reached into her back pocket and saw Sirius's hand flick to his pocket, presumably holding his wand. She laughed mockingly, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"Since when do you care?" She took a long drag, eying him with mistrust. "What do you want?"

"I've been trying to talk to you all summer but you haven't written me back-"

"Get the hint?" she said, taking another drag.

"I wanted to explain-" he coughed. "Can't you put that thing out?"

"Explain what? How you didn't mean anything by it or it was a mistake?" she said jeeringly.

"But it was-"

"Oh, sure! I bet it was, that's why you couldn't keep it in your pants, right? One girl is never enough for _Sirius Black!_"

"What are you-?"

"I bet you were having a right laugh! I knew I should have listened to Lily! Merlin's pants!" her voice was rising, louder and higher, her face breaking out from its set stoicism.

"I wasn't-"

"Oh shut up!" she shrieked, all restraint gone. "You thought I was stupid so you played me! Well good job! I guess I was if I fell for you! I actually thought you loved me like I loved you! Well I was wrong, wasn't I? I was just another one of your games, wasn't I?" She was standing now, her cheeks flushed, looking frightening as she pointed her finger at him. She heard running footsteps in the corridor but didn't care. She drew her wand and pointed it with deadly accuracy at him just as the door flew open.

"Expelliarmus!"

Vienna turned to face her disarmer, a look of pure loathing on her face that quickly turned to surprise and then contemptuous humor when she saw the caster.

"Lucky James is here Sirius," she said laughing as he stepped into the room. She plopped down on her vacated seat, laying with her feet propped up on the armrest. She took another drag on her cigarette, which she was still somehow holding, as Remus and Lily caught up and stared at the scene inside. Lily was the first to speak.

"Vi, what is going on here? Why the hell are you smoking?"

"Mainly so I don't kill him," she said gesturing toward Sirius.

"Give me that!" she said, taking it from her. She shot Sirius a _this-is-all-your-fault_ look. "What are you doing down here anyway?" she said nastily to Sirius.

"I was just trying to explain!"

"There's nothing for you to explain," Remus said quietly from behind them.

"What are you talking about?"

"You cheated. How can you explain that away?" He said it quickly, not looking at anyone as he said it.

"I don't know how it happed! One second I was just talking to Rachel, the next-"

"Oh so it's Rachel? And then what? You needed to stick your tongue down her throat? You had to feel her up in the broom cupboard?" She was crying now, fat tears rolling down her pale face. Then she was punching every bit of him she could reach between sobs. "You Stupid! Insensitive! Jerk!"

Then James and Remus were pulling her off of him, tearing her shirt in the process. It took them ten minutes and a stunning spell to finally drag her away, which, by that time, left Sirius with a black eye and very bruised arms.

"Enervate," murmured Lily, and Vi sat up, looking dazed. She looked up and saw Sirius again and a look of loathing appeared on her face once again. She reached for her wand, fast as lightning, but James had other plans. He jumped in between the two and sort of tottered, falling onto Vienna's lap.

To everyone's surprise, she giggled.

"Traditionally, James, shouldn't this be the other way around?"

Everyone burst out laughing, though they looked a little scared by her sudden transformation.

"What? Aren't you still mad at me?" Sirius asked, looking very confused.

"No," she said innocently. "I just realized you're not worth it."

Sirius looked taken aback. No one had ever told him he wasn't worth the effort. "But I told you, it was a mistake!"

"That's ok, I know it's not your fault," she said offering him a smile.

"Then… will you go out with me again?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she said, laughing again.

"But I love you! C'mon Vi, honey! You know I'll never do it again!"

"But to the contrary," she said, looking at him from behind James's shoulder, "I know you'll do it again, because obviously, I'm not good enough for you. Now James, sweetheart, please get off of me because you're rather heavy."

"Are you going to try and kill him again?" James asked tentatively.

"No, not today anyway," she said, a devilish twinkle behind her blue eyes. "Remus, may I please have my wand back?"

He handed it to her without a word. They seemed to be telling each other something silently. James slowly stood up and helped her to her feet. She wound her way around Remus and Lily and disappeared down the corridor.

"Have you ever seen Vienna Alden back down from a fight?"

"Have you ever seen her say no to Sirius?"

"Since when does she call James sweetheart?"

"Since when does anyone call James a sweetheart?"

"Hey!"

"This can't be good."


	18. Broken

18. Broken

Remus found her later that evening during patrols. He was wandering up the third floor corridor when he heard a scream and something crashing to the floor. He immediately ran forward and threw himself at the door, but it was locked.

"Alohamora!" he yelled and the door sprang open. Inside was nothing but an overturned desk. Then suddenly he heard the same frantic voice.

"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum. Expecto-"

"Vienna?" the figure turned around, face shining with tears. She quickly wiped them away and tried to rearrange her face into a smile.

"Hullo Remus!" she said with fake enthusiasm. He moved to sit next to her.

"Vi, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"Stop lying, I know you better than that." Her face fell and suddenly she was sobbing on his shoulder. Remus looked at her, shocked, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Remus, I don't know what to do!" she cried. "I, I can't stop-"

"Shhh, its ok," he said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder.

"I can't handle this Remus, I don't know what to do," she said quietly. "I, I still love him! Why am I so _stupid!"_

"You're not stupid!" Remus said consolingly. "It's, I guess it's a tough thing to get over."

He held her as she slowly hiccupped into silence. "Why were you casting a Patronus anyway? Is there a dementor in the corner I don't know about?" Remus said, half joking.

"Just-" she stammered, fresh tears spilling from her eyes, "Just look! I can't make it change!"

And with that she cast her Patronus and a large silver Irish Wolfhound appeared. Remus was taken aback by the familiar form, not expecting its reappearance.

"Vienna, remember what the book said. You can't change it, there's no way-"

"But it said a sudden shock or variation in daily life!" she looked so thoroughly miserable that he hugged her again. "It's still him! Just like his! I'm such a mess, Remus, and I have no idea what to do. I don't know how to cope, not with everything that's happened this year. I've lost everyone-"

"That's not true," Remus said sternly. "You still have me and Lily and James…"

She didn't answer, but merely allowed herself to be held.

"Thanks Remus, I'm sorry you had to see me go to pieces like that, I just-" she started.

"It's fine Vi. I know it's unfair, but you'll get through it. It's going to be ok. I'm here whenever you need me."

"Thanks Remus," she said softly and hugged him.

Vienna wandered around the castle with Remus for the rest of the night, ducking out of sight whenever a teacher or Prefect approached. Remus didn't ask why she didn't want to go to bed and she was glad. Soon their quiet laughter was ringing in the halls and the previous situation seemed forgotten. It was close to midnight by the time he finished his rounds and they finally headed back up to the portrait hole.

She expected the common room to be empty, but as Remus helped her thought the Portrait hole she saw she was wrong. She had been laughing about the story Remus had been telling her about a man his dad knew who had grown a giant fish head on his shoulder, (Mr. Lupin worked in the Department of Experimental Charms) when her face fell. Remus looked behind him quickly to find Sirius, looking livid.

"How could you Mooney? I thought we were friends!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I just heard from Mary that you were down the third floor corridor _snogging_ my girlfriend!"

"What girlfriend? I wasn't-"

"Vi, I can't believe you-" he slurred.

"Remus don't listen to him, he's drunk," Vienna said disgustedly, eyeing the empty Firewhiskey bottles lying next to the armchair Sirius had just vacated.

"Sirius, I only hugged her, she was upset about what happened-"

"Mooney, don't! It'll only make it worse!" Vienna cried as Sirius whipped out his wand.

"Say it then, Remus. It was all my fault wasn't it? I screwed everything up and now you can take her?" His wand slashed through the air and the room disappeared in a cloud of smoke and noise. Next thing they knew, Vi was lying unconscious on the floor, a trickle of blood running down her face.

"Oh shit, shit!" Sirius cried, dropping to his knees and cradling her head. He tried to wipe the blood away but it was quickly replaced. Remus crouched down, feeling her pulse. She stirred at his touch, her eyes fluttering open.

"Sirius?" she asked faintly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"Sirius?" she asked again, almost inaudibly.

"Yes?"

"Please stay?" she breathed.

"I will."

Her eyes fluttered shut and she was eerily still.

"Sirius, go get James from upstairs. Tell him what happened, get him to give you some of that sobering potion and meet me in the hospital wing. I tell Madame Pomfry I found her like this over by the library and you and James come running in, you'll be able to get away with it, James is Head Boy. And tell Lily, she needs to know," Remus said, conjuring a stretcher. "What did you use on her anyway?"

"I don't know, it just happened. Shit! Do you think she'll be ok?"

"I don't know…" he said quietly. "Just go! There's no time!"

They ran to their separate destinations both glancing back at the still figure on the stretcher.


	19. The Hard Questions

19. The Hard Questions

Vienna awoke four days later in an unfamiliar room. It was white and sterile looking and completely alien. It was lit by four small candles floating in a bubble up by the ceiling. The blankets on her bed were soft and warm and the room didn't seem to be dangerous. She tried to sit up but flopped back down as a throbbing pain shot through her head. She suddenly realized how sore she was. She tried to remember why but couldn't.

"The Healers say she can't remember the last three months-"

"Should we tell her?"

"Of course we should! She has a right to-"

"But they say she might shut down again if there's something else traumatic-"

"Who's going to tell her about her aunt?"

"Who's going to tell her about Rachel?"

"Should we? Would it be kinder to just let them get back together?"

"What if she found out?"

"I think we should-"

"I don't know-"

"She still loves him-"

"But it's her choice-"

Lily, James and Remus had been having the same conversation since they had left for St. Mungo's. Sirius remained silent, watching the trees fly by the Night Bus's windows.

"They won't tell me what happened!" Vienna exclaimed, annoyed.

"That's because we don't know," James lied easily.

"I can't remember anything! Did we win the Quidditch Cup?"

"Of course!"

"How did I do on my exams?"

"Failed everything," James said smiling widely. She shot him a dirty look.

"Oh har-har. What happened this summer? What did I miss?"

They all looked at each other uncomfortably. James gave the other two a look that clearly said _Don't bring it up_ before answering.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Umm, Vi, we have bad news for you. Don't freak out, ok?"

"What? What is it?" she said looking alarmed.

"Vi, your aunt died in June, she had a stroke," Lily said gently.

"What? How?" she said softly, her eyes filling with tears. "What else happened?"

"Well, you moved to London…" Remus said a little nervously.

"What are you guys not telling me? Sirius, what is it?" she asked, looking at their guilty faces. Sirius opened his mouth to say something when a frazzled looking Healer bustled in.

"Alright, everyone out! What did I tell you about making her distressed?"

"I'm not distressed!" she cried as the Healer ushered the four of them out. "Please stay?" she called after them. "Alright! Now I'm distressed! It's all your fault Grumpy! You lot, come back ok?"

They snickered as the door slammed shut. They could still hear Vienna yelling at another Healer from the hall.

"C'mon Grumpy! You're making her distressed!" James laughed. "I mean, she hasn't called someone 'Grumpy' since about third year!" The Healer ignored them.

"One person can stay for now, until I see she's improving-"

"But, we're her family!"

"Not technically." At the outraged expressions on their faces, he softened his stand. "Look, I know the circumstances, but she needs rest. You all can come visit her on Friday but until then, only one at a time."

"I'm staying!" they all called out at once. Then Remus said, "James you should go back, there needs to be at least one Head left. I'll go back too, I guess."

"I'm not leaving for another two hours at least-" James said indignantly.

"Why not?" Lily asked.

"Because I'm skiving off Potions. I can't take an hour of Snivillus."

"I want to stay," Sirius said quietly. "It's my fault anyway." Lily looked like she wanted to argue, but James lead her toward the cafeteria.

Sirius slipped silently inside. Vienna was lying still once more, after being forced to take another sleeping draft by 'Grumpy.' He sat by her bed, holding her hand as she slept.

"Vi, they say you're going to be alright. I'm so sorry, for everything. I was such an idiot. I don't care if you ever talk to me again, just please, please be ok?"

He couldn't bring himself to tell her. The excuses seemed even frailer now that she was leaving St. Mungo's. The others had decided to let him choose, but he couldn't. He didn't know how to push her away again, knowing now how much it would cost him.

"Seriously, this is embarrassing. I can walk you know!" Vi said as James wheeled her down the hallway.

"Oh, shut it, Vi, we're getting a free wheelchair out of this," James laughed.

"I'm serious! Let me down!"

"Well actually, I'm Sirius-"

"_Real_ funny. I definitely haven't heard that before," she said rolling her eyes. "Where's Lily anyway?"

"She had to stay at school, actually I did too, but there you are."

"Why did you guys have to stay?" she asked James interestedly.

"They had to help find who blew up the toilet on the fourth floor," Sirius snickered.

"Yeah, well, I already know, don't I?" James said. Vienna laughed. "You're a lot more cheerful nowadays." He added.

"Why am I more cheerful now?"

"I don't know," James said, looking at Sirius.

"You guys still aren't telling me something!"

"You're staying at James's for the entire weekend."

"What?" she said, looking alarmed.

"Better than my place, I haven't cleaned it in ages," Sirius said, grinning at the look on her face.

"Why can't I go back to school?"

"Only you would ever _want_ to go back to school early. Well, you and Lily."

"What about my flat?"

"And deny my mum a chance to fuss over you-"

"Yes please!"

"Too bad there's two of us and only one of you," James said, grinning more broadly. Then he grabbed the wand poking out from her bag and waved it over his head. "_And_ I've got your wand."

"Give it here!"

"No, I don't think I will."

"James, I'm warning you-"

"What are you going to do?" She looked at him, half annoyed, half amused and rolled her eyes. She sat back resignedly and closed her eyes. They left Mungo's and wound their way through London, looking for a deserted spot to catch the Night Bus.

Lily had never been to James Potter's house before, and as she sat on the bus, she thought in had been for good reason. He had spent the last six years tormenting her. He had cut her hair off in second year, locked her in the greenhouses overnight and even stolen her underwear in fifth year and hung it around the common room. If it hadn't been for Vi, she never would have come. Which, when she thought about it, was exactly why James would insist she stay at his house for the weekend.

She stepped off the bus and immediately gasped at the beautiful house before her. It was a lovely little estate with ivy climbing up the white walls and several chimneys. She was just admiring the iron gates when she heard a voice break the tranquility of the countryside.

"Lily! It's a trap! Escape while you still can!" Vienna called, laughing from the porch. James and Sirius flew toward her, pulling her inside.

"I thought you said you guys were taking care of her!" Lily said indignantly as she saw Vienna lounging on the porch, a book in her hand.

"We are," James and Sirius said together.

"They took my wand and stuck me in this chair with a pile of books! And they won't let me play Quidditch!" Vienna moaned, though she was still smiling.

"Of course not, that could be damaging to your health," James said solemnly.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Homework, because you miss school so much! Either that or Sirius," James said, cackling as he dodged the book she threw at him.

"Lily! Thank Merlin you're here!" she laughed.

Lily made her way over to where Vienna was sitting and saw that she was, most certainly, stuck. She looked over at her questioningly.

"Oh, this, yeah, I fell asleep on the way here and they Spell-o taped me to the chair," she said, unconcernedly, picking up another book.

"Here I'll get it off you," Lily said and waved her wand. The tape fell away.

"Thanks, Lily! I'll be right back," Vi said, sprinting away.

"Vi wait! You're not supposed to be- Oh honestly!"

A few minutes later, James came running up and hid behind Lily's chair.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Hiding from Vi! She got her wand back. I mean honestly, Sirius just had to give it to her. He's never been able to deny her anything-"

"Except trust," Lily said coolly.

"Oh chill out a bit, Lils. They're happy." And not even Lily could deny this. Hard, though it was to admit it, he did make her happy. And shouldn't she be happy for her friend?

"Still," she said, refusing to give up, especially to James Potter.

"So, who blew up the toilet?" James asked, feigning innocence.

"You, know, that took ages to sort out! And of course, I knew it was you!"

"What, me? I would never!" He said, looking hurt before breaking into a huge grin.


	20. That Little Voice

20. That Little voice

In many ways Vienna was happier than she'd ever been. She felt a bit guilty about this, especially after what had happened with her Auntie Gloria, but she couldn't help it. Some part of her was just too happy with Sirius to give that guilt much attention.

And then there was that little voice. The one that kept telling her something wasn't quite right. That the furtive glances exchanged by her friends when she entered the room _meant something more._ But she wasn't sure what.

She pushed back these thoughts. She was just being paranoid, certainly. It was just the time-loss. Healer Austin _had_ said that she might face disorientation for months.

"What's up Vi?" Sirius asked as they sat under the willow by the lake. "You look a million miles away."

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. He leaned forward and put his forehead on hers and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I love you," he said. She smiled.

"I-" she started, but he was kissing her. She sighed as he gently parted her lips with his, growing in fervor as he explored her mouth with his tongue. She could feel the nerves in her body come alive as they only did with him, could feel the grass against her back as she rolled back and he straddled her, his hands knotting into her hair. She could feel him all around her, smell him, taste him. But there was that little voice, screaming words she couldn't quite make out.

She broke away, breathing hard.

"What's the matter?" Sirius asked. She stared at him for a long second. The voice was screaming at her that this was so wrong- but it felt so right.

"I-" she said, breaking off. "It's nothing, it's just the after effects of that curse I think."

Sirius suddenly looked at her with sudden apprehension. "Are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital wing?" he gently brushed the hair back from her face.

"No I'm fine, just a little disoriented," she said with a small smile. He gave her one last appraising look before leaning down and kissing the thin scar on her temple that was the only physical reminder of her attack.

"I'll always be here for you, remember that," he said seriously.

"I know," she whispered. "You're the one I can always trust."

He didn't say anything, just rolled off of her and onto the grass beside her. She snuggled up close and rested her head on his chest. One arm curled around curled around her almost unconsciously and pulled her closer.

They sat in silence for a few minutes listening to the sound of each other's breath. Then she looked up at him through her lashes. The muscles in his neck were tight and he was staring through the branches, a strange look in his eyes.

"Sirius?"

"Um-hm?"

"I love you," she said, and buried her head into his chest. His arm tightened around her and he reached up to stroke her hair. She closed her eyes and slammed the door on the little screaming voice and felt perfectly at peace.

Almost.


	21. Only a Nightmare

21. Only A Nightmare

"NO! No no no no no NOOOO!" Vienna moaned as Professor Slughorn drew up the seating chart for the class.

According to the chart she was supposed to sit in between Snape and James, while Lily Sirius and Matt Connelly, from Ravenclaw, were sitting at the opposite end of the room.

"Wait a sec, Professor," James piped. "You forgot about Remus!"

"Oh, sorry Mr. Lupin! You can sit next to Mr. Potter then."

"Why do we have assigned seats all the sudden?" Sirius asked glumly.

"It's to minimize, err, incidents like we had last year," he said evenly, referring no doubt to the time James and Sirius had blown up Snape's cauldron and drenched the class in poison, or the time that they had lit off Fillibuster's Fireworks and filled the room with Catherine Wheels or perhaps the time they filled the supply cupboard with a vat of horned toad guts that had been left from a detention the night before.

Funnily enough, he never gave them detention for skipping class.

The class took their seats, grumbling as they went. Vienna banged her head on the desk, punctuating each word with a bang. "This… is…so…unfair."

"Be careful, you might want to preserve the four or so brain cells you have left," Snape sneered.

James opened his mouth to retaliate but Vienna had already told him to shove his head somewhere anatomically improbable.

"I mean, that's the only explanation for it really, unless you're a total slag."

"Explanation for what?" she asked, ignoring the last comment.

Snape smiled. "So you really don't remember? Merlin, that's hysterical."

"What's hysterical?" Vienna said, sitting up.

"Nothing, he's just being stupid Vi," James said angrily. She looked between the pair of them, and then turned to Remus.

"Do you know what they're on about?" she asked, and he shook his head, looking angry.

"Honestly James, what is he babbling about?"

"Vienna, I told you it's nothing-"

"You didn't think it was nothing on the train," Snape said, clearly enjoying himself. "I heard you almost-" but his voice broke off suddenly, though his mouth continued to move.

"I almost what?" she asked angrily. "I almost what, Snape?"

But he just laughed silently and turned back to his cauldron. Then everyone turned to her and began laughing and the room began spinning.

"Honestly, how can she not remember?"

"Such a slag!"

"Stupid!"

The faces seemed to pop out at her, grotesque but still recognizable. They closed in, pushing at her and cackling.

"Stop it!" she cried. "Help me! Sirius!" She could see them through the crowd but he merely smiled and crossed his way to the broom closet, for now they were in the great hall and she was crying and she couldn't remember why.

"Sirius!" she called, but he just turned and smiled, his teeth fangs.

"Sorry love, but it's just better this way," he said before shutting the door and the floor was gone and she was falling. Falling.

Falling.

"Vienna! Vienna, wake up!" Sirius said and she jolted awake with a start. She was lying in the grass with Sirius's arms still wrapped around her, though the light had faded and the air had turned chilly.

"Vienna, it's ok," Sirius said soothingly and for the first time she realized that she was shaking and that there were tears pouring down her cheeks.

She buried her head into his shirt, not even quite knowing why she was falling to pieces.

"It was horrible," she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Shhh," he said, his arms tightening around her. "It's ok, it was only a nightmare."

She didn't know why she was acting like this. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to having nightmares. She'd had them for years after her family's deaths. But something just felt so real, so fresh, like she was digging at the surface of something still raw and bloody and painful.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, her voice breaking. "I don't know what's happening. I just… I don't want to lose you and I feel as if I already have."

"It was only a nightmare," Sirius said soothingly. "Only a nightmare."


	22. Knowledgey

22. Knowledge-Y

"This doesn't make any sense Remus," Vienna said with her head in her hands. She felt like a bowtruckle had crawled inside her head and was slowly gouging out pieces of her brain.

"It's all about the Arithmetic process," he said patiently, flipping through one of the large books piled around them. "You keeping missing step four-"

"I miss divination," she whined, putting her head on the table, knocking several heavy volumes on her head in the process. "Oof! Yeah, that's great for a head ache."

Remus rolled his eyes and picked up the books, stacking them on the floor by his chair. "We didn't learn _anything_ in that class."

"That's what made it wonderful. All I had to do was tell her the plot from some Muggle sitcom and add in a couple of unicorns and I got an O, it was wonderful! Either that or be like 'Your footstool is about to explode' when I knew James and Sirius and you lot had hid fireworks in it. She thought I was omniscient."

"I forgot about that," Remus said with a somewhat guilty smile. "She didn't think you were omniscient, you were just a total teacher's pet."

"I resent that!" she said, laughing. "What about in second year when we had to prune the Venomous Tentacula and you said you were allergic to plants and she let you sit out for the day and we all got bit? And you're just sitting outside, giggling because you knew they were cranky because of the lunar cycle."

"Your arm was _purple_," he said, laughing.

"Yeah, it was Mr. Lupin," she said biting back a smile. "I don't know how you know this stuff. Are you secretly just a midget who's already been through school?"

"I'm taller than you are!"

She laughed and immediately dropped her head back into her hands. "What's wrong?" Remus asked quickly, gently tugging her hands away.

"Nothing," she said through gritted teeth.

"You're such a bad liar."

"It's nothing, really Remus-"

"Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, I want to go to the hospital wing. There is nothing I'd rather do but go to the hospital wing. And while I'm at it I think I'll go pick wild flowers with Snivillus," she said sarcastically, kneading her temples.

"Oh, shut it Alden," he said rolling his eyes. "Just because you're scared of the hospital wing."

"Am not!" she said quickly.

"Such a bad liar-"

"People die in hospitals! There's germs."

"So you chose the one career most likely to land you in one," Remus said, still grinning.

Her mouth moved soundlessly for a few moments before she said, "This is why you're the smart one Remus!"

Remus laughed again and Vienna joined in, though she was still clutching her head.

"You sure you're ok?"

"Fine enough. So what's the step I'm missing again?"

"Four. You keep forgetting to carry the variables and raise them to the power of seven."

"Oh," she said, grabbing her quill and scribbling out the problem.

"Yeah, like that," Remus said checking her work. "It's really simple, actually-"

"If you're a complete prodigy, like Mr. R. J. Lupin, genius extraordinaire."

"I am not! How do you know my middle initial anyhow?"

"Well, it stands to reason since your middle name's John."

"How do you know my middle name?"

"I'm a creep," she said waggling her fingers at him.

"No seriously."

"I told you, I'm freaking omniscient," she said, making a face. He gave her a look. "I don't know. I just do. I think I heard you say it in like second year or something."

"You _are_ a creep, oh my god," he said, giving her a friendly shove.

"It's better than James's."

"Why what's James's?"

"Ferdinand," she said seriously.

"_Really?_" Remus asked, suppressing a laugh. "Oh my-"

"WHO'S A BAD LIAR NOW LUPIN!" she practically yelled, her face splitting into a wide grin.

"OUT!" screamed Madame Pince, appearing as if by magic behind her. She sighed and grabbed her bag, Remus collapsing into giggles. "YOU TOO!" she shrieked, turning on Remus.

"What? What did I do?"

"Fascist," Vienna coughed.

"OUT!"

They left, Remus grumbling, Vienna caught halfway between amusement and what looked like pain.

"Hey guys!" Lily said enthusiastically as she hurried down the hall to join them. "I was just going to go to the library, want to come."

"Vienna just got us kicked out of the library," Remus said, giving her a look.

"Madame Pince is a fascist," Vienna said by way of explanation.

"You were the one yelling."

"You were the one who actually believed James's middle name was Ferdinand!"

Lily snorted. "Wow Remus."

"Aw, shut it Evans! He's certainly fruity enough."

"FRUITY FERDINAND!" Vienna called, thrusting her fist in the air.

Remus clapped a hand over her mouth. She licked his hand. "Gross Vi!"

"You taste like chocolate… and _books_."

"How do you know what books taste like?" Lily asked, grinning as Remus wiped his palm on his pants.

"I ate a few pages for a dare. I was older than you'd think."

"That was first year!" Remus said suddenly. "I remember that!"

"I made ten galleons off of James. He didn't think I'd do it," she said, smiling at the memory. "It tasted very… knowledge-y."

"You're such an idiot!" Lily said laughing.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, kneading her temples once more.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked quickly.

"Nothing, just a headache."

"You should go see Madame Pomfry," Lily said earnestly. "It could be something to do with the hex."

"You sound like Remus! It's just a headache! It's probably from staring at that Arithmancy homework for two hours."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said rolling her eyes. "I'm going to head back up to the common room. I bet Madame Pince will let you back into the library Remus. You and Lily could go study."

"No, we'll all go together, we're not going to just leave you," Lily said.

"No, it's fine, I just need some quiet."

"So you're going to the common room?" Remus asked, eyebrow raised.

"Just except it Lupin!" she said and turned in the other direction. The other two just laughed and kept walking.

Vienna ducked into an empty classroom. She had an idea that she wanted to try, something to get rid of this godforsaken block in her mind. The real test would be if it worked…


	23. Intentions

23. Intetions

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked Vi through a mouthful of cookie. Vienna whipped around, narrowly missing lighting her trainers on fire.

"What are you doing?" she asked, staring at him in shock.

"Great comeback. No, seriously, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, sitting on the desk next to her.

"What? Where did you come from?"

"The Kitchens," Sirius said, smirking.

"What were you doing in the Kitchens?"

"Nicking food," he said holding up a brown bag. Vienna peeked inside and grabbed a cookie. She took a bite and threw her head back.

"Oh my god, these are the most glorious things I've ever tasted!" she said with her mouth full. Sirius laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Hey Alden, you wanna stop orgasming over there?" Sirius said in a mock serious tone. She punched him in the arm with her free hand as she took another bite.

"So, really, were you trying to light your trainers on fire or was that just for my benefits?" he asked after he stopped laughing.

"M'ryn tare'ers the 'ex 'n etmy m'mryb'ck," she said through a mouthful of cookie.

"What?"

She gave him a look before swallowing. "I'm trying to reverse the hex so that I can get rid of the block in my head and get my memories back."

Sirius stared at her in undisguised horror.

"Why would you want to do that?"

She gave him an appraising look. "Are you high? Are you smoking Wizard's Pot?"

"No! Wizard's Pot? What the hell?"

"It's meth then, you're definitely a meth addict."

"I'm not on drugs! I just don't think it's a good idea!"

"Why? Why the hell is walking around with a giant hole in my mind a better one?"

"What if it goes wrong? What if you give yourself brain damage?"

"What if I don't?"

"How do you know if you will?"

She stared at him angrily. "I can't believe you! I thought you'd want to help me, not tell me it's stupid! Hell, this is coming from the boy who thought it'd be a good idea to jump off Gryffindor tower with an enchanted parachute!"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Well this could too! You don't even get it! I'm missing months! I have no idea what happened! It's just a black hole, and every time something almost slips through- Bam! A fricken bowtruckle tries to crawl out of my brain and I can't see straight!"

"Wait, you didn't tell me you were getting headaches," Sirius said suddenly.

"That's not the point! The point is they're _mine!_ They're _my_ memories! And some asshole stole them from me!"

"So what are you going to do, blow up your head for three months' worth of memories?" Sirius asked angrily.

"It's my head!"

"Seriously, Vi! Sometimes you're just so damn set on this stupid suicide mission of yours that you don't even care how it affects anyone else! And you know what, I get it, the Death Eaters killed your family. But you dying isn't going to bring them back!" he shouted.

"You don't get it! You don't know a damn-" she broke off suddenly, her hands balling into fists. "You know what? Forget it! Forget it! Just- AARRRHH!" She burst, grabbing the bag of cookies and kicking the door open.

"Oi! Those are mine!" Sirius called, sounding irritated.

"GO BOIL YOUR HEAD!" Vienna yelled from the end of the corridor. Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted, reaching into the pocket of his robe and retrieving an identical bag, from which he pulled out another cookie and shoved it into his mouth before following her. He was whistling.


	24. Reality

24. Reality

"I'm not talking to you," Vienna said as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. Sirius gave her a mocking smile.

"Oh, really, because I think you just did. Besides, you can admit I was right. Moony told me you burnt off your eyebrows last night trying to use a reverse memory charm."

"Remus!" Vienna said angrily.

"I'm not getting involved," he said, determinately staring at his pancakes.

"That's not the point, anyhow! The point is that they're my memories that somebody stole. Shouldn't you want to help me get them back? I mean that's a whole summer I'll never get back. I have no idea what we did, I couldn't even find my own flat if I wanted to! Hell, I couldn't even find yours, which, according to you I should!"

"So what are you going to do? Because your plan is obviously not working. I can just _tell_ you what happened! What's the difference?"

"What's the difference? What's the difference? Are you kidding me?" she said furiously. Then she dropped her head into her hands.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, dropping his hostile manner.

"I have an ass for a boyfriend," she mumbled. "You know what? Forget it, this is stupid anyway, it'll never work. You were right. Are you happy?"

"Vi, what's the matter," Sirius said, trying to pry her fingers free. She jerked away.

"Stop, you're just making it worse."

Sirius dropped his hands looking lost. "You should go to the hospital wing."

"Will everyone stop telling me to go to the hospital wing! I'm not going back to the hospital, I'm not going back to Mungo's, I'm dealing with it!"

"Wow, Vienna's mad again, shocker," James said sitting across from Sirius.

"Shut it Potter!"

"Oh grow up Vienna," James said, making a face. "Oh, I can't remember the summer, oh my god. Maybe you don't want to remember!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said suddenly looking up. James's eyes widened. Then it slipped back into that of disdain.

"It means stop whining, that's what it means. We're all tired of hearing it, even Lily!"

"How would you know, she doesn't even talk to you!"

The tips of his ears went pink. Vienna's eyebrows shot up. "You and Lily? Was she drunk?"

"No!"

"Wizard's Pot," Sirius said, nudging her. She gave him an appraising look before giggling.

"What are yon two on about?" James asked while Remus rolled his eyes over the paper.

"You two are idiots with the attention span of a fish. And the stupid kind at that," he said, turning over to the next page.

"I still don't get it," James said, looking put out.

"It's a drug, like fey dust," Sirius said.

"Really, I've never heard of it."

"It's not real you dolt."

"That's probably why," James said sagely.

"Do you think-?" Vienna asked Remus, ignoring Sirius and James on her other side and reading over his shoulder.

"What?" Remus asked.

"That has to be Tommy. Yeah, that's their house, they lived down the street from me in Bristol."

"Tommy?"

"Tommy Moriarty, he was Head Boy when we started. Tall, blonde hair, really nice eyes. He was pretty fit too-"

"What are you going on about?" Sirius asked rudely. "Are you going on about some other bloke?"

"His name was Tommy and he's dead. Died last night according to the paper. Werewolf attack," she said gravely. "He was always real nice. His brother, Eddie, is in our grade, remember. I think he's chaser for the Ravenclaw lot."

She glanced behind her to the Ravenclaw table. A blonde boy sat alone, staring into his mug of coffee as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"I'm going to go say something," she said getting up. "I knew them from the cul-de-sac, you know? I'll see you lot later." She walked away, one hand still kneading her temple. They watched as she sat down across from him and took his hand, saying something to which he gave her a sad sort of smile.

"A werewolf attack doesn't fit the lunar cycle," Remus said quietly.

"Yeah cause then you would have-" Peter squeaked but James kicked him under the table.

"Over stewed your forgetfulness potion," Sirius said, filling in the awkward moment.

"So what do you think it was?" James asked seriously. "Do you think it was an animal attack and they were just using a werewolf as a scapegoat?"

"It doesn't make sense, it's got to be more sinister than that," Remus said, his brows knitting together.

"Whatever it is, do you think it has something to do with You-Know-Who?"

"It's got to be."

"Maybe they're trying to cover up Death Eater attacks. Why would they do that?

"To cover up a war."

"But we're not at war-"

"Exactly."


	25. Truth

25. Truth

"This is a terrible idea," Remus said doubtfully. "This is like doing intracranial surgery with a spoon."

"Come on Remus, you promised-"

"What about the whole, 'you're right Sirius, this whole thing is stupid!' What about that?"

"I lied," she said simply. "I'm not giving up on something this important just because he says so! I just didn't feel like arguing."

"So what if I say no?" Remus asked deliberately.

"Then I go ask Snivillus to root around in my head."

"You would ask _Snape?_"

"Yeah I heard he could do all that creepy brain control stuff. What's it called?"

"Legilimency," Remus said, his head in his hands.

"Yeah! That!"

"Why don't you ask Lily? She's better at Charms than I am!"

Vienna rolled her eyes. "She's out snogging James somewhere I think. I don't know, she hasn't been in the dorm."

"Well, maybe you should wait for her to get back-"

"No, Remus, we're doing this now. And don't worry, you won't get in trouble for any of it, I wrote out a note just in case."

"In case I blow up your head?"

"Yeah. Might be and improvement," she grinned, though Remus just gave her a dark look.

"This isn't fair, you know," he said angrily. "The two of you, just- Oh, whatever! I always thought you were right anyhow."

"Right about what?"

"Just sit down and let's see if we can do this," Remus said. She obeyed silently and stared at him.

"Here goes nothing," she said with a small smile. He harrumphed, but pointed his wand steadily at her temple. She shut her eyes as he murmured the incantation. Blue sparks shot from his wand and straight at her head.

Remus stepped back as she was engulfed in acrid black smoke, coughing. "Vienna? I don't think it worked are you ok?"

She didn't answer.

"Vienna this isn't funny," he said, groping blindly towards the place he knew she'd been sitting. But there was nothing but an empty desk.

"Vi! Vienna!" he asked frantically.

"I'm down here, don't get your panties in a knot," she said hoarsely from somewhere by his feet. He ducked down and found her hands and pulled her up.

"What were you doing down there?"

"Must've fell I suppose. I think you're right though, I don't think it worked."

"Do you smell that?" Remus asked suddenly.

"All I can smell is this noxious smoke," she said. She swam hazily in front of his eyes through the swirling smoke.

"It's not that," he said as it began to dissipate. And as his vision began to clear he saw what exactly 'that' was. The side of her face was covered in blood. "You're bleeding!"

"I am?" she asked, putting a hand to her head. "Oh… I am." She stared at him a moment before her legs gave out and she sat down hard on the floor.

"Vienna, are you alright?"

"Dizzy," she said slowly, her eyes unfocused. "I think-"

"Here, hold this to your head," Remus said, pulling off his jumper and handing it to her. She held it limply in her hand. "No you idiot, like this," Remus said, rolling it into a ball and holding it gently against her head.

"I think-" she said again.

"You think what?"

She groaned. "Concussion. Definitely a concussion."

"Wait was it the spell? Should I-"

"I just hit my head… on the desk I think. I have the healing spell in my notebook over there-"

"No, I think we're done with playing Healer for the day. You're going to the hospital wing."

"No, Remus," she said quickly and then swayed on her feet. Remus grabbed her arm to steady her.

"How 'bout now?"

"Fine," she groaned, and he helped her out into the corridor.

"Remus? Do you think this whole thing is stupid?"

"What whole thing?" he said, grinning. "You can roll your eyes! I'm sure that's a good sign!" He paused, but answered when she continued to stare at him. "Yes! I mean no, not really. I mean- just- Vienna, you know what James said, that you'd be better off if you didn't know, that there are things you might remember that you won't like? Well, that's half true at least. And a lot of people would think you were lucky not to remember- things- but I don't think so. I think remembering is better. That it's always better because it makes you who you are. And right now you're just kind of stagnant, but you weren't, and maybe not for the better but you were trying! And it's not fair-!" he stopped himself there and looked down, his eyebrows knitted together, jaw set. "It's just, this isn't the way to get your memories back. You're just going to hurt yourself more. And I don't want to see you hurt anymore, none of us do."

"Remus, I don't understand-"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I promised."

"But Remus-"

"Look, we're here," he said quickly opening up the door.

"What have you done this time?" Madame Pomfry asked.

"She fell down the stairs and hit her head," Remus lied easily. Vienna lay down on one of the beds as Madame Pomfry started fussing over her. Remus slipped out of the doors unnoticed and slid down the wall, his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry Vi," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

_Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading It totally makes my day to see all of your views and reviews, followings and favorites! Per awesome request by SuchStuffAsDreams, I will now be replying to reviews and questions and the like at the bottom, so stay tuned for that As for the last chapter, I'm not quite happy with that one either SuchStuffAsDreams, it does have a little of an odd quality to it, but don't worry about it, the next couple of chapters will be addressing that! Thanks so much for reading and please review! Reviews make me smile!_

_ Just some things to think about:_

_Do you think Vienna will get her memories back?_

_Lily and James (!) What the heck is going on there?_

_How is this 'secret war' going to affect the kids at Hogwarts?_

_Who else is currently mad at Sirius, because I know I am? (Are authors allowed to do that?:P)_

_And lastly, what's going on with this whole Remus/Vienna thing? _


	26. Guilt

26. Guilt

Dear Lily,

Look, I wrote you, you can stop freaking out. I'm not dead, unless I'm a zombie, but I'm not quite sure zombies know how to use the post. I ask the next time I see one.

I saw Remus tonight. He said you were worried. You don't have to worry I'm fine_. _Just ask Remus. Don't bother asking Remus, just trust me.

So yeah, I'm fine, not a zombie and you shouldn't worry, I'm just busy with work and stuff. Thought I saw him the other day there. So how's it going at home? Petunia still as lovely as ever? She's a joy, your sister.

I miss you tons. Sorry for being such a terrible friend lately. I'll make it up to you at school, promise.

Lots of love, Vienna

Lily quickly shoved the letter into her book as the dormitory door opened, but it was just Mary. She bobbed in, blonde curls bouncing, huge smile on her face.

"Guess what Lily," she said with the air of someone relaying the meaning of life.

"What?" Lily asked in a voice she had mastered in second year.

"I just saw Chelsea Morris and Derek Harrington _snogging_ by the statue of Barnabas the Bleary!"

"Barmy."

"What?"

"Oh, its Barnabas the Barmy," Lily said quickly.

"_Whatever!_ They were totally snogging!"

"That's great!" Lily said forcing a smile.

Mary was about to tell her just how great this was when the door banged open and Vi walked in, one side of her hair matted with what was undoubtedly blood.

"Vi, what happened?" Lily said quickly sitting up.

"Don't worry about it; I just lost a fight with a desk. And yes, I've been to the hospital wing," she added with a smirk. She raised one hand in the air as if she were leading barbarian troops into battle. "Off to the showers!"

Lily snorted as Vienna charged into the bathroom. "Did you get another concussion?" she called over the sound of running water.

"Yep, and I am _loopy,"_ Vienna called back. "Whatever Madame Pomfry gave me if really strong."

"I bet," Lily said laughing.

She turned back to her book and pulled another letter from its pages. Her stomach dropped as she saw the smudged ink and the water stains. It was the first one she'd sent after she'd left school last summer.

Lils,

Had to leave for Auntie's funeral. Won't be back this year, have to set her affairs in order.

Caught Sirius in the broom closet with some half naked girl. Didn't say anything, like an idiot. Feel free to tell him his ass is so broken up with. Obviously I'm not good enough for him.

I'll write you soon. Vienna

The next one was the worst. Lily suspected she'd been drunk when she'd written it, half because Vi wasn't one for talking about feelings and half because she was pretty sure the stain on the upper left corner was Firewhiskey.

Dear Lily,

I don't know what to do. I miss him and I shouldn't and don't know why. Well I do and that's because I'm in love with the dumb bastard.

He makes me feel sick and weak and pitiful and I just hate it and I just wish I could forget everything and go back to how it was because it was nice. It was nice to feel needed and wanted and loved.

Now I just feel like shit.

Miss you Lils. Vienna.

Lily shoved them back into the book and lay back, pulling the hangings shut as she did. She stared at the book for a moment before tossing it under the bed. A single tear dripped down her cheek.

She wondered if she was doing the right thing. If Vi would still wish to forget now. If she was doing the right thing in keeping her silence.

_All right, so I think I like this, thanks SuchStuffAsDreams. Wow, my first genuinely angry review. No, I'm serious, this one was pretty pissy. So Guest numero dos, yes, I can get mad at Sirius and no, it's not hypocritical, it's probably mildly schizophrenic. Another thing to think about, would the plot be as good if he didn't cheat? If you like lovey dovey fairy tales (the Disney kind, not the real ones, they're pretty badass) then yes. But that's no fun. Where's the amnesia in that? Also, threatening to stop reading if I add in any Vienna/Remus 'thing': not a good move. Let's just say challenge may be accepted. Although what's in a slash? (We all know what's in a slashfic, but that's besides the point:P) I'm definitely not loving the Remus-hating I'm feeling right now. He's my little furry jumper-wear, (extra dark) chocolate-eating, book-carrying baby and I love him to pieces so please excuse me while I go all mama bear on your ass. _

_So anyway after that interesting little rant right there I leave you with this:_

_Should Lily tell Vienna?_

_Do you think Vienna really wouldn't want to know?_

_Who else loves Remus with the burning passion of three exploding suns? (Yes, I know I'm weird, but I promise I'll keep writing!)_

_What about all those letters in Vi's apartment? Christmas break is coming up…_

_So thanks again for reading and reviewing and everything. Sorry for the rant. I'll try to refrain from them in the future! LOL, you should have seen the one on sparkly vampire for the school paper but OFF TOPIC! Please read and review, you make my day, even the angry ones. This one kind of made me laugh, but I think that's the sleep depravation talking. So anyway_

_STAY CLASSY CYBERWORD. (Yes that's an Anchorman reference:P) Love you all. Bye!_


	27. Blame

27. Blame

"Thanks for staying Remus," Vienna said blearily. Her eyes were unfocused, the Sleeping Draft taking hold. "I reckon we can try again tomorrow. Maybe something with the incantation went wrong, I'll-" but she was asleep and Remus's hands were balled into fists.

He left without another word.

Remus stormed into the dormitory, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Someone's in a mood," Sirius said, smirking as he played wizard's chess with Peter. James snorted from his bed and flipped the page in his magazine, _Quidditch Quarterly_.

"You're damn right I am!" Remus said angrily. "Do you know where I was all night?"

"In the library?" James suggested.

"No, I was in the Hospital Wing-," Remus said.

"Everything all right Moony?" Sirius asked.

"With _your_ girlfriend."

"What?"

"Yeah-"

"Why the hell were you two in the Hospital Wing?"

"Because Vienna got a concussion. Because she's still trying to figure out what happened last summer. Because you _insist_ on lying to her!"

"But she said-"

"Well she lied. And she's not going to stop."

"What are you saying Remus?" Sirius said dangerously.

"I'm saying its time you should own up for what you did. It's _your_ fault-"

"You think I don't know that Remus?"

"That's not what I-"

"You think I don't know that this whole goddamn thing is my fault? Well I do! And what do you think owning up will do? It's not going to give her her memories back! It's not going to make her feel better! It's sure as hell not going to make me feel better. But I should definitely do it, for you sake, huh Moony? Whatever makes _you_ feel better? Just break her heart, all over again? Yeah, I know what I did, but I have a second chance right now, a blank slate. And I'll be damned if I don't use it!"

"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" James said, jumping between the two. "Let's chill out a minute!"

"No, you know what? I'm done Sirius! You tell her or I will!" Remus spat, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

_Hi again Finally updated. Well it's only been four days but still. This one's really short, sorry, but hopefully I will be updating later tonight. HOPEFULLY. But that's only if I finish the next AP chapter. Unless I cheat, which I probably will because I hate taking notes. Unless I watch Dr. Who while I take notes… CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!_

_Wow, that was really off topic. My thoughts look quite deranged when put on paper…_

_So I'm super happy that there are other crazy Remus lovers out there and Sirius lovers (ha! Had to put that in there. Siriusly I had too:P) So what'd you think?_

_Do you think Remus will actually tell Vi?_

_Do you think Sirius will?_

_What's going to happen next?_

_Who else thought the Olympic Opening Ceremonies were awesome? JK was great! Love her! (Obv, lol)_

_Who else thinks that I'm incredibly off topic and should be spending this time writing the next chapter and have it be more than 300 words? Yeah me too._

_So reviewreviewreviewreview! Your words inspire me! Write them please! Yay! Ok, I shall ramble on now. You're chapter is coming! You're chapter is coming!_

_Stay Classy Cyberworld._


	28. Out of Direction

28. Threats

Vienna sat down at the Gryffindor table where Sirius and Remus were staring daggers at each other. She banged into James as someone fell on top of her.

"Get off of me!" she said, fighting her way through the mess of black robes and pushing the boy off of her. It was Snape. "Watch where you're walking!"

"Sorry, must've tripped Alden," he sneered, hurrying off to the Slytherin table. Vienna rolled her eyes and scooted away from James.

"Something you want to tell Vi, Sirius?" Remus asked pointedly.

"No," Sirius said, staring at him icily. Vienna looked between the two in confusion before turning to James.

"What are they rowing about?" she asked.

"You," James said without looking at her.

"What do you mean me?" she asked him, but he took a huge bite of porridge at that moment and stuck his tongue out at her with the whole lot dribbling down his chin.

"That's gross James," she said, making a face. He waggled his tongue for affect. She rolled her eyes and turned to Peter. "Peter," she said in a sweet voice. "What are they talking about? I know they tell you everything."

His eyes bugged out and he looked positively terrified. "I- I- I-" he stuttered, his voice shooting up an octave with every syllable.

"What did you do to poor little Peter?" Lily asked, sitting next to her. "I think you broke him." Lily gave him a kind smile and he burst into nervous laughter, one eye twitching madly.

"James said that Remus and Sirius are fighting because of something I've done and I can't figure out what," Vienna said, taking a swig of her tea. She set it down hard, staring at it oddly.

"Could it be?" Lily asked quickly before whispering something into Vienna's ear.

"No, they haven't been back up since," Vienna said under her breath.

"Haven't been back up where?" James asked, mouth full.

"Honestly James!" Lily said, giving him a look. James rolled his eyes and swallowed pointedly.

"Haven't been back up where?" he repeated.

"Which one of you did it?" Vienna asked suddenly. Remus and Sirius looked over from where they'd been staring.

"Did what?"

"Which one of you put something in my drink?"

"We didn't put anything in your drink," Remus said, looking confused.

She stared at them all hard. Sirius reached over and took her glass and sniffed it. "You're going round the twist," he said and was about to take a swig but Vienna reached over and knocked the glass from his hand, spilling tea all over his robes. "Oi! What the hell?"

"You bleeding idiot! You don't drink something someone has messed with! Are you-" she clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.

"All right," Sirius said giving her a dirty look. "No need to get your panties in a twist."

"I didn't mean to say that," Vienna said her hand still over her mouth.

"What's wrong with you?" Remus asked incredulously.

"I most likely suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder resulting from watching my brother die," she said, her eyes wide. "At least that's what my shrink said."

"You had a shrink?" Lily asked incredulously.

"For two years. My Aunt believed in that nonsense," Vienna said her eyes great round disks.

"What do you mean you watched your brother die?"

"I mean he died in front of me! The Death Eaters tore him apart because he was a Squib!"

"Vi, why are you telling us all this?"

"I don't know!" she said, tears leaking down her face. She turned on her heel and ran for it, Lily hot on her heels. The boys stared incredulously at one another.

They turned at the sound of quiet laughter. Severus Snape had sat down in Vienna's vacated seat and a grin was playing on his sallow mouth.

"Sod off Snivillus," Sirius said. Snape just sat there, grinning.

"What're you grinning about?" James asked rudely. "Finally find some shampoo? You know you have to put it in your hair for it to do anything."

"So how's your friend doing? Spilling her guts yet?" he mocked. They stared at him incredulously. "Oh I heard. Shame about her brother, isn't it? Do'ya think that's why she's such a bitch?"

"You little," Sirius said, practically jumping across the table.

Severus smiled. It didn't suit him. "You see, that's the great thing about the truth, isn't it? It's why we lie, while we all lie, isn't Black? Because the truth _hurts_. Because the truth is like knives. Because the truth can kill."

"What are you going on about?"

"I know what happened at the start of term. I heard her yelling at you from the corridor. Horrible racket, but all in all pretty informative. You sent her completely off the deep end. Couldn't honestly believe it. I'd been trying for years. Never occurred to me how truly _fragile_ she really was. And then she goes and gets her head scrambled. Now that won't work, will it?" He pulled a vial of some clear liquid from underneath his cloak and gave it a shake.

"Veritaserum," Remus breathed.

"Ding ding ding! Fido's got it!" Snape said, giving it another shake.

"You put that in Vi's drink when you bumped into her this morning!" Remus said angrily.

"Wow, you three are getting out done by a filthy mutt," Snape said, clearly enjoying himself. "Right again Fido! And you know why? Because I'm going to figure out exactly how to turn her back into a sniveling mess and then, I'm going to help her get her bleeding wits back and she'll never want to talk to you four again. And then when she's mourning you and your idiocy, I'm going to be there and I'll be a good friend, the only one who didn't lie to her. And then she's going to join us and help us exterminate vermin like _you_. Because believe it or not, she's not half bad with a wand."

"Vi would never join the Death Eaters, not in a million years!" Sirius said angrily.

"You're right," Snape said with a smile. "But I guess we'll see how far she'll crack, won't we? And I get to watch you go down with her! Right in time for Christmas, lucky me!" Snape said, laughing.

"Thanks again Black! I could have never done it if you hadn't been such a bleeding idiot!" he got up, still smirking. "Isn't it kinda funny how she stopped you from giving her exactly what she wants?" Sirius gave him a blank look. "I saw her knock that glass from your hand. One sip and you would have told her everything. Shame really. Drags things out a bit."

And with that he left.

_ Ok, nice long chapter, everyone can be happy! Yay! I know, I know, I've been totally annoying with the short chapters and what not, and I'll really try to keep them longer from now on. I promise! _

_So thoughts on this chapter? Like/Dislike and the lot? _

_I'll try and update later tonight but no promises. I have a ton of AP homework that I've been completely neglecting but it might just have to be neglected because I'm really excited to write the next chapter._

_Please review, you guys are awesome and I try to take all of your advice into mind! This is my first fanfiction after all and I have a lot to learn. _

_Stay classy _


	29. Victim of Your Own Creation

29. Victim of Your Own Creation

"This is a mess," Sirius said, his head in his hands.

"Wouldn't be if you'd just told her," Remus snarled.

"Can you guys just stop bickering for a minute?" James asked, exasperated. "This isn't a game, this isn't some stupid prank and Snape isn't bluffing. We need to figure out what to do!"

"We could kill him," Sirius said.

"If you haven't got anything useful to say then shut your face," Remus said.

"Can you guys stop arguing for a minute? You're giving me a headache!" Peter piped unexpectedly.

"That was the bell," James said, getting up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Potions, come on."

They trudged down to the dudgeons in angry silence where the class had already assembled outside the doors. Sirius tapped on Vienna's shoulder and she whipped around.

"Don't talk to me," she said. "Lily and me, we think we've worked it out. Someone put-"

"Veritaserum in your drink, yeah we guessed as much," he said under his breath. "And we know who did it too, now come on, we have to skive off and I'll explain everything."

Vi opened her mouth to answer when the door opened but Professor Slughorn ushered them all inside.

"Sorry," she whispered as she sat next to him. "You don't mind do you?" she asked quickly, glancing down. "I'll go sit with Lily."

"No!" he said, grabbing her wrist as she got up. Her brows knitted together.

"But isn't James your partner?"

"I'm sure he would love to work with Lily."

"I suppose," she said with half a smile.

"So about before-"

"Today we will be attempting a Asphyxiation Draft," Slughorn said in his booming voice. "We will be working in pairs. Now, this is a very volatile potion and will therefore require our full attention, does everyone understand?" There was a general murmuring of assent. "Ok then, off you go!"

Slughorn clapped his hands and made his way for Vienna and Sirius's table.

"Put a silencing charm on me quick!" Vienna said under her breath.

"Why?"

"Because he's going to talk to us about one of his parties, I know he is, and I'll be rude."

"So?"

"So, he knows people in the Auror office!"

"Fine!" he hissed, pointing his wand at her under the table. She stiffened slightly as the spell hit her, but relaxed when Sirius laced his fingers through hers.

"How are we doing over here Mr. Black, Miss Alden?"

"Fine, sir," Sirius said with a smile.

"Miss Alden, Professor, now what was it? We go through Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers like mad here."

"Professor Newhart sir," Sirius said helpfully.

"Ah, yes, professor Newhart was telling me what an aptitude you seem to have for the subject. She was telling me how you passed your last exam with full marks, utilizing defensive spells that aren't even taught until the second year of Auror training at the Ministry. That's where you're planning to go after school isn't it?"

Vi nodded, smiling.

"Oh, go on, there's no need for modesty Miss Alden!"

"She's not allowed to talk for the day. Madame Pomfry said, something to do with a concussion."

"Well that's unfortunate! I suppose you got that playing Quidditch. Your team has been doing fantastic I have to admit."

"We are doing rather good sir," Sirius said with a smile. "Regulus is just no match for James."

Professor Slughorn laughed. "I'm afraid you're right Sirius, especially after that beating you two gave him last match. Ah well, must go and check on the rest of the class, see how they're doing. Oh, and," he said, pulling two scrolls from his inside pocket. "I would be ever so pleased if you would attend my upcoming party. Just a small little get together of the rising stars of Hogwarts." He handed them both an envelope sealed with green wax. "Perhaps you could tell us your plans then Miss Alden, if you're feeling better of course," he said with a smile before turning towards the others.

Sirius flicked his wand once more and Vienna sucked in a deep breath. "Great. The next meeting of the Slug Club. I swear if I have to listen to Marcus Applebee ramble on about crossing a Venomous Tentacula with a Puffberry Pod for another hour, I will kill him. Figuratively."

"I know what you mean. The whole thing was rather pointless if you ask me. It wasn't even venomous anymore. What's the point?" Sirius asked, scattering beetles into the potion.

"What would have been cool would have been if he crossed a Venomous Tentacula with a Mandrake so you would get-"

"Annaliese Vance."

"That's horrible!" Vienna said giggling.

Then something caught Sirius's eye as Vi was busy pouring armadillo bile into the cauldron. Snape was staring at him, smiling his horrible little smile and waving an envelope. An envelope sealed with green wax. Sirius turned away quickly and opened the envelope.

Friday, this Friday, the Friday before term ended for winter break. That was when the party was. And Snape's message was clear.

He had four days until Vienna got her memories back.

_Hey guys! What'd you think? Please review and tell me! You guys are the best Thanks for reading! "Go ahead, Make my day!"_


	30. It's Just a Shot Away

30. Its Just A Shot Away

"What do you think?" Vienna said, twirling around for Sirius in her new dress. It was simple and elegant with a V neckline and a low back and clung expertly to her curves.

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely. She gave him a wide smile.

"What's that for anyway?" Sirius asked, lounging back on his bed as she ducked into the bathroom to change.

"It's for the Slug Club Party dummy. I had it shipped in special," she called through the door.

"I thought you didn't want to go to that," Sirius called back.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe it'll be fun."

"I don't think so," Sirius mumbled, twisting angrily at the pillow in his hand.

"What?" Vi asked, reappearing.

"Nothing," he said quickly. She sat across from him and gently tugged the pillow from his grasp and put it aside. He dropped his hands limply but didn't look up.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. He didn't answer, just stared at his hands. She reached over and brushed the hair from his eyes, staring at him intently.

"Sirius-"

"What if you knew you could do the right thing, but you couldn't. Because it would hurt too much?"

"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Vienna asked seriously. "I don't understand."

"Like what if you knew something about someone that they didn't know? And you know it would hurt both of you if you told. Should you tell?"

She stared at him for a long moment. "Sirius, I-"

"I don't know what to do Vi!" Sirius said, his voice hitching. "I know I'm being selfish but I also don't want to hurt… them. But I can't live without them." He looked up and there were tears running from his eyes.

"Oh, Sirius," Vi said, cradling his head to her and stroking his hair. "It's ok. Just calm down, everything's going to be ok."

"But what if it's not? What if I lose-" He broke off once again. "I just can't do it again. I can't live without them. This sounds stupid, I know," he said quickly, wiping his eyes.

"It's not stupid. It's not," Vienna said soothingly. "You should have told me earlier. You know you can tell me anything."

He let out a sort of disparaging laugh and buried into her embrace. "What's so funny about that?" she asked.

"Nothing it's just, something Moony said."

Vienna kissed him on the forehead, tightening her arms around him. He looked up, giving her a small smile. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, returning it. Sirius sat up and kissed her hard on the mouth, his fingers twining themselves into her hair. She overbalanced and landed sprawled on her back, Sirius on top of her. She giggled, shaking her head at him.

"Who are they?" she asked as he grinned.

"Who?" Sirius said into her neck.

"'They' you kept saying 'them'. Who do you need to tell, and why can't you?" she asked. Sirius ignored her, kissing her collarbone. "Stop it," she laughed, pushing him away. "You were all serious and now-" He opened his mouth but she put a hand over it, grinning. "Yes, I know, you're always Sirius. Please just tell me?"

He looked away for a long moment, the muscles in his neck going tight.

"Please?"

He sighed and said, "It's nothing, just something to do with my parents."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, trailing a hand along his cheekbone.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

She kissed him softly on the mouth before saying, "I'm sure it'll all work out."


	31. The Grand Debacle

31. The Grand Debacle

"Hey have you seen Vi?" Sirius asked James as he toweled off his hair. James snorted. "What's so funny?"

"Your girlfriend is an idiot, that's what's funny," James said, still grinning.

"Oi!"

"Well it's true. Even I'm not that daft!"

"James, what are you talking about?"

"She's gone to talk to your mum, that's what I'm talking about," he said still laughing.

"What?"

"Yeah, she left like maybe an hour ago. Said something about fixing your relationship with your parents." James collapsed into laughter. Sirius punched him in the arm.

"It's not funny you pillock!"

"You're right, it's hysterical!"

Vienna took a deep breath before knocking the door. The knocker was a great big silver serpent.

"Hear goes nothing," she said under her breath as the door opened. A little house elf opened the door with fluffy white ear hair. She gave him a smile, which he didn't return. "Hi, err, I'm here to see Mrs. Black." The house elf looked her up and down before turning with a hurumph.

"Follow Kreature Miss."

Vienna followed him into a scarcely lit hall with ornate wallpaper, lined on either side with silver framed portraits. To her left she noticed an odd sort of umbrella stand, made from what looked like a troll leg. 'Kreature', as she thought she'd heard him address himself as, led her up a flight of stairs. On one side of the wall there were plaques with the heads of house elves stuck on, like grotesque hunting trophies.

"Lovely, aren't they?" A woman said from the top of the staircase. She was tall, with the same dark hair and grey eyes as Sirius, though that was where the resemblance seemed to end. She looked haughty and severe and like someone Vienna would have normally scorned. Precisely the type of woman that would have severed heads hanging on the wall.

"Darling," she said, with what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"And you would be?" the woman asked.

"Miss Alden, Vienna Alden, I should have wrote first-" she said, stumbling a bit over her words.

"Is that of the Yorkshire Aldens?" the woman asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you descended from the Yorkshire Aldens?"

"Yes, I think. That's where my dad was from anyway."

"Why don't you come up to the sitting room? Bellatrix and I were just about to have tea."

"I hope I'm not interrupting-"

"Nonsense, come along."

"She has a Pureblood last name," Sirius was saying to himself as he jammed a sock onto his foot. "She'll be fine, she just can't tell her that her mum was a Halfblood. Or that her brother was a Squib."

"Her brother was a Squib?" James asked, watching as Sirius struggled with evident amusement.

"Not now James!" Sirius said angrily.

"They're going to kill each other and you know it," he said, hoping off the bed. "Vienna's going to freak as soon as your mum starts going off about blood purity. What's she going to think when she finds out your inbred?" James asked, a huge grin on his face.

"You're technically inbred too you dolt," Sirius said as he ducked out of the dormitory.

"Yeah, but she doesn't fancy me! Maybe she'll think your kids will have three eyes and nineteen toes!"

"James, just shut it!" Sirius said angrily. "This is all my fault, I just keep lying and it just keeps getting worse-"

"Yeah, but at least this is funny," James said.

Mrs. Black led her into the sitting room, where a striking young woman was sitting, all dark hair and heavily lidded dark eyes.

"Who was it Aunty?" the woman asked.

"This is Miss Vienna Alden, Bella. Of the Yorkshire Aldens," Mrs. Black said with a conspicuous look.

"Ah, the Yorkshire Aldens," Bellatrix said with an air of superiority. "Of course the family isn't nearly as auspicious as it was, not after the whole _Magnus_ debacle. Marrying that Half-blood? What a shame!"

"Oh?" Vienna said, nails cutting into the palm of her hand.

"Oh yes, it's all about carrying on the purity of the line, being rid of the Muggle taint," Mrs. Black said, taking a sip of her tea. "You have to prune that nonsense out of a family to keep it healthy."

"Oh, of course," Vienna said, her nails biting further into her palm.

"Now, what were you here about, dear?"

"Are you going to use the One Eyed-Witch or the mirror?" James asked, following Sirius through the Portrait Hole. Sirius threw a cloak over his shoulders and fastened it in one quick movement.

"The Witch, it's faster I reckon."

"Yeah it is, you can Apperate right from Honeydukes."

Sirius rounded on James. "Why the hell didn't you stop her?"

"Only caught her on the way out. And besides, she'll be fine."

Sirius rolled his eyes before jumping into the Witch's hump.

"I was here to talk to you about Sirius, actually," Vienna said, and instantly regretted it. Mrs. Black's nostril's flared and her cheeks began to redden. The other woman, Bella, laughed.

"Ickle Sirius gone and got himself into trouble again? Course you look a bit young to be a teacher. Has he broken into a shop? Has he been _arrested?"_ she asked gleefully.

"Oh, no nothing of that sort, I'm just a student up at the school."

"That boy brings nothing but shame to the noble and most ancient house of Black!" the older woman stormed.

"What are you talking about? He's wonderful, really," Vi said, her eyebrows knitting together.

"He's nothing but a filthy little blood traitor! He is no son of mine!" she howled, pointing a ruddy finger at Vienna's chest.

"Well, about that," Vienna said, adopting what she hoped was a soothing tone. "I think he wants to repair things with you, that your estrangement has been taking a toll. After all, every child loves their mother."

Mrs. Black swelled in indignation like a great balloon. She seemed mad beyond speech. Bella leaned forward, looking steadily at Vienna.

"You're the Alden girl in Sirius's grade, aren't you? I remember you from my seventh year. You're Magnus's little brat, aren't you? A Half-Blood and a blood traitor."

"What are you talking about, a blood traitor?" Vienna said flaring up. "What should I be doing? Stringing up Muggles in broad daylight? Maybe I should hang their heads on the wall while I'm at it!"

Sirius took a deep breath before pushing the door to number twelve open. He was met by a wall of sound.

"You filthy Half-Blood brat, get out of my house-"

"You have bloody severed heads nailed to your wall, your bloody crazy-"

"You aren't worth the scum on the sole of my shoe-"

"If you'd just listen-"

"Coming here, prattling on about my filthy blood traitor son-"

"Welcome home," Sirius said to himself under his breath.

"He's a good person and if you can't see it-"

"He's vermin, just like your father. Just look at his room filled with half naked Muggle girls and motorbikes-"

"Yes, he totally stashes Muggle women in his bedroom," he heard Vi reply sarcastically.

"You should talk! Not that you're any better than him, should've seen it when you walked in, low breeding-"

"As opposed to what? Inbreeding? Is that what you lot plan to do. Well I don't know if you understand basic biology, but one day one of you Pureblood maniacs is going to be born with a fourth eye and then we'll see who's breeding looks good-"

"Hello Mum," Sirius said, leaning casually on the doorframe.

"YOU!" she said, her eyes bulging.

"Ready to go Vi?" he asked.

"In a minute," she said, glancing over at him before turning back to his mother. "And if you think for a second that Sirius is anything like what you say than you're dead wrong. He is one of the kindest, most trustworthy, loving men I have met in my life! And if you can't see it, it's probably because you're barmy from banging your first cousin or whatever," she said angrily, turning to leave. "Oh, and thanks for the tea," she added before following Sirius down the stairs. They stopped after they slammed the front door and leaned against it, breathing hard.

"Thanks for the tea?" Sirius asked finally. "Seriously?"

"Shut it, I hate being rude," she said grinning. "Come on, allons-y"

They both laughed before dissapperating.

_Yay! Two new chapters! review! They make me super happy! They really do! So yeah, thanks for reading an reviewing because you are completely awesome and enjoy._

_Allons-y Cyberworld! (Yay, Doctor Who reference! Mmmmm David Tennant is gorgeous. That's really off-topic, but really necessary. Love him.)_


	32. It Ends Tonight

32. It Ends Tonight.

"Wow," Vienna said as she landed in Honeydukes cellar, still clutching Sirius's arm. She'd never been through the secret tunnel.

"Yep, that's my mum," Sirius said, fighting back a grin. "Good thing you caught her on a good day."

"A good day?"

"Well at least she didn't nail your head to the wall. Well, she wouldn't anyhow, you blood isn't clean enough. You've got Muggle taint," he said with a mocking face.

Vienna stuck her tongue out at him.

"So are we agreed that we're never going to do that again?" Sirius asked as he opened the trap door from her.

"Why? I thought that was lovely. Your mother is a wonderful-"

"You can stop lying."

"- Barmy old inbred crone! I saw your family tree Mr. What's it like to go to family reunions? Hey Uncle Grandpa second brother twice removed, how's the punch?"

Sirius snorted. "That doesn't even make sense! Well, sort of. I dunno."

"You know I'm just teasing you."

"I know. That was almost worth the trip back just to hear you screaming at my mother about those bloody house elf heads and biology. My god," he said grinning.

"Honestly that's just creepy," Vienna said, grimacing at the thought. "Didn't they scare you as a child?"

"Not really, they were always there."

Vienna shivered, "That's just strange."

"That's being Pureblood," Sirius said sourly. "Here," he said , draping his cloak over her shoulders. "You really didn't dress warmly. You could have at least put on a jumper."

"I don't know where they went. Maybe they grew legs. Isn't it great that that's a plausible explanation?" she asked gleefully. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You can borrow a few of mine. There too big but at least you'll be warm until you find yours."

"Maybe Remus borrowed them," she said thoughtfully.

"What the hell would Moony want with them?"

"I don't know, he likes jumpers," she said unconcernedly, trying to push the sleeves of the cloak back so that she could see her hands. "Honestly, I look like a child," she said flapping her arms hopelessly. There was a good foot of fabric past her fingertips. Sirius laughed.

"Here," Sirius said, still laughing. He folded the sleeves back so she could use her hands.

"Thanks," she said with a wide smile. "Because now I can do this," she said and kissed him, threading her fingers through his hair. He smiled against her mouth and pulled her closer. She giggled and pulled away.

"Come on, I almost forgot, the party's tonight. We're going to be late."

Sirius's stomach dropped. "The party?"

"Slughorn's party, remember? I know you don't want to go but I promised Lily. And apparently Slughorn's bringing in some people from the Ministry. I heard he even invited Alastor Moody!"

"Oh," Sirius said biting his cheek.

"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad, I promise! And if it is we can always leave early!"

Sirius gave her a quick smile before following her down the earth tunnel. "Yeah, it'll be that bad," he mumbled under his breath.

_Yes, I know it's another short chapter, but don't hate me! The next one's coming and its going to be long and action packed and probably contain some foul language. So just hang in there and hopefully I'll have it up tonight, ok? Please review and tell me what you think, it's super important! Thanks in advance _

_Lots of Love._


	33. Lightning in Their Eyes

33. Lightning in Their Eyes

"Hello Professor!" Vienna said cheerfully as they entered.

"Miss Alden, always a pleasure! And Mr. Black!" he said jovially. Sirius gave him a forced smile. "Well, come right in, we've got appetizers coming round and the band's all set up. Oh, and I just have to introduce you to some members of the Auror office later, I daresay they're running a bit late- Ah, Miss Evans! How are you this evening? I am pleased to say your marks on the last paper were phenomenal as always. I'm always saying that you should have been sorted into my house with a mind like that!"

"Come on, let's go before they start bickering," Vi said with a smile. They navigated through the mob of people, finding a spot to sit in an alcove by the windows. Sirius wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. She leaned into him instinctively, staring intentively at the crowd.

"Look, over there that's Josef Wronski, of the Grodzisk Goblins. The one that invented-"

"The Wronski Feint, yeah," Sirius said. She pointed to a tall man in his early twenties with artfully tousled brown hair wearing a brown pinstriped suit.

"And there's Ace Erikson, he's-"

"The most eligible bachelor in Brittan," he said with a smirk. "Don't think I don't know what you read in Arithmancy! I sit right behind you."

Vienna's cheeks went red. "He's also the author on the front most research on resisting the Imperious Curse. And he's been published in _The Wizard's Journal_! I've read his papers, their brilliant-"

"You only read them because he's fit-"

"I most certainly do not! And I'm not the one who has pictures of half-naked Muggle girls pinned to my walls!"

"They're not half naked, they're in bikinis," Sirius said, fighting a smile.

"So, basically naked then?"

"Would you care to dance Miss?" someone asked, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around. It was Ace.

"She wouldn't mind seeing _you_ basically naked," Sirius said, stifling laughter.

Vienna turned and shot him a withering look, which was spoiled slightly by the fact that her mouth twitched into the faintest hint of a smile. She turned back to him and said, "I'd love to."

"My name is-"

"Ace Erikson, yes I know, I've read all you work. It's brilliant, really! The whole theory on conventional thinkers being more susceptible to the Imperious Curse- Sorry, I'm rambling," she said and quickly shut her mouth.

"Oh no, that's fine. I think you were going to say you read about me in one of those gossip magazines. I've already had six girls come up to me and ask if I really ride an illegal magic carpet to work every day."

Vienna laughed. "My name's Vienna, by the way. Vienna Alden."

"Didn't your parents work for the Ministry? They were the ones that-" he stopped suddenly.

"Were murdered, yeah," she finished steadily.

"I'm sorry-"

"It was a long time ago."

Sirius watched Vienna as she talked animatedly with Ace, barely revolving on the dance floor.

"Hey," James said, passing him a drink.

"Where's Lily?" Sirius asked, turning away from the dancers.

"Talking with Slughorn, you know, the usual. She's his favorite," he said unconcernedly. "Haven't seen Snivillus. Maybe he won't show."

"Yeah, maybe."

The song ended and Vi stepped back with a smile. "It's been such a pleasure talking to you Mr. Erikson."

"Call me Ace! You make me sound so old! I'm hardly twenty!"

She laughed, "Ok then, Ace."

"I could send you some of my work, some of the unpublished little things I'm working on. Your ideas on resisting the Cruciatus Curse were enlightening," he said earnestly.

"Oh that's nothing but a bit of guesswork."

"No, I think you may be on to something. Is it ok if I write you on the subject?"

"Oh, of course!"

"I would credit you, don't worry about that-"

"Ah, Vienna! I see you've met Ace! I thought you would get along quite well. She's top in her class-"

"No, Remus and I are tied currently Professor," Vienna said. She flashed a smile at Ace. "He's much better at dealing with Dark Creatures than I am. A Red Cap nearly broke my knees in fourth year."

"Where on earth did you run into a Red Cap? I thought they were mainly found in Scandinavia."

"They are. One of my friends had one shipped in for a prank. Nasty little buggers."

"That's awful!"

"Nah, just a bit of a laugh. An hour in the Hospital Wing and I was fine."

"You have interesting friends Vienna."

"That I do," she said with a smile.

"He's not going to show up," Sirius said with a laugh twenty minutes later. "Bloody coward! He was just trying to rattle my cage!"

"Yeah, nothing to worry about!" James said a little blearily.

"How much Firewhiskey did you put in here Prongs?" Sirius asked, downing the rest of his drink.

"'Bout half," he said, miming with his fingers.

"Excellent!" Sirius said, clonking his glass against James's.

"Ace Erikson is going to _write_ me Lily!" Vienna hissed into her ear, smiling broadly.

"Oh my god not- _the_ Ace Erikson?!" Lily asked, eyes wide. Vi nodded vigorously.

"How's it going?" Remus asked, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Amazing!" Vienna said excitedly.

"Really? Seems sort of dull to me. The chocolate fountain's good though. Extra dark chocolate. Strawberry?" her asked offering them several large chocolate covered strawberries.

"Yes please!" Lily said taking one. "You're definitely right, these are superb Remus!"

"What're you doing?" Remus asked Vienna as she stood on her tip toes to see over the crowd.

"Looking… for Sirius. I should probably go back over there- Nevermind, him and James are doing shots," she said, standing flat again once more.

"Really? Oh, honestly!" Lily said, setting off into the crowd.

"Do you want to dance Remus?" Vienna asked after a moment.

"What?" he said, nearly dropping his strawberries.

"Do you want to dance? You're here stag and my date's currently making a drunken ass out of himself and I don't fancy holding his hair back when his idiocy catches up with him. So do you want to dance?"

"Sure," Remus said, dropping his plate on a nearby table. "Why not? I am going to warn you that I probably will step on your feet."

"Well, I'll probably step on yours to so I think we're even," she laughed as they stepped out onto the dance floor.

It was a fast song and they laughed as they danced, twirling each other around and bumping into swotty Ministry officials.

"That was my dad's boss!" Remus said as they quickly spun away from a fat man in tweed dress robes who was hopelessly blotting at a splotch of red wine. "I just dumped wine on my dad's boss. HA!" he said laughing.

"Shhh! Remus, he might hear you!" she said giggling. "Quick, over here!" she said, pulling him through the crowd and to the back corner of the office. They were still laughing when they collapsed into a deserted table. Or at least they thought it was deserted.

"And who do we have here?" a familiar slimy voice asked from behind the flower arrangement. "Looney Lupin and The Twit."

Severus Snape poked his head out from behind the mass of flowers, a devilish glint in his black eyes.

_Yay! Nice long chapter! What do you think? Will Snape tell her? And for all of you who are wondering, yes, Ace's description matches the 10__th__ Doctor's. Why? Because he's lovely. Am I a bit obsessed? Yes, but then again, what's a fangirl to do? Love you all! Review pretty please!_


	34. Between the Eyes

34. Between the Eyes

"Shove off Snape," Vienna said, kneading her ankle. "I'm not used to walking in these things," she said to Remus, shoving him her black pump with a pencil thin seven inch heel. "They're murder on your feet!"

"You're the idiot for wearing them," Snape said.

"You're an idiot in general but you don't hear me yapping about it!" Vienna snapped. "Don't you have things to do? Wash your hair, sulk in the dark, terrorize small Transylvanian villages?" Snape open his mouth to retort but Vi hissed at him, baring her teeth. He shot her a dirty look. "Oh, it burns like the light of a thousand holy suns!" Vienna said in a Transylvanian accent, flinching away. Remus snorted into his hand.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you knew what I knew!"

"How many days you can go without bathing before McGonagall gives you detention?" Vienna shot back.

"I know what happened to you over the summer. I know exactly what happened. I could tell you-"

"But you won't," Vienna said unconcernedly.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Because we hate each other. I'm the Quincy to your Dracula, and the only way you would every help me out would be if it were a trick or you were lying or possessed by someone with a heart."

"I have a heart!" Snape said indignantly. Remus tossed back his chair and headed into the crowd. Neither of them seemed to notice.

"Oh yeah? So hexing Muggleborns is completely ok with you? Oh wait, _you_ call them Mudbloods, don't you?" Vienna said acidly. "Don't think I forgot what you said to Lily when she went to help _you_."

"That was an accident-"

"No it wasn't. If I'd stepped in you would have said worse. It's only because you're in love with her." Snape's eyes widened murderously. "Don't think I didn't notice! All that time I had to follow you two around while you fawned over her! Because the sun and stars set on Lily Evans? And at first I thought, you know, maybe he'll be good, for her. Because Lily's nothing but good. But then you go and hang out with all your asshole Slytherin buddies and go 'round hexing first years and I _knew_ you weren't any different! And you prattle on about James and Sirius when you're planning on killing people when you get out of school. People like Lily.

"Did you ever wonder why I hated you so much? Because you had a choice and you chose wrong. You chose to kill and torture and burn everyone who isn't like you. Everyone who's like her. And you're still in love with her, even though you want to wipe her from the planet."

Snape stared at her murderously. A vein was throbbing at his temple, a look of pure rage set on his sallow skin.

"Sirius cheated on you. That's what you can't remember. I heard you rowing with him on the train," Snape spat, his lip curling in satisfaction, clearing waiting for her to cry.

She laughed at him derisively. "Wow, great comeback Snivillus. Maybe next time you should come up with something in the realm of reality," she said rolling her eyes and walking away.

Snape dug quickly into his pocket and pulled out his wand and aimed it squarely between her shoulder blades. He hissed something under his breath.

Vienna dove out of the way, the spell skimming her. She felt the left side her body wretch open, pooling blood. She fell into the bookshelf and grabbed the first thing she came into contact with, a heavy leather bound copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. She whipped round to see Snape's advancing form and acted without thinking, bringing the book down heavily on his skull. He cried out before dropping like a stone.

Vienna realized the party had gone silent as the book slipped from her fingers. He legs gave out and she slipped to the floor, the room spinning around her. Voices echoed in her mind. Frantic, worried voices. The last thing she remembered was the grizzled face of the old man, one brown eye and one electric blue surveying her.

"You were right Horace," he said in a gravelly voice. "This one has guts. Pure instinct. I like her."

Then the blackness came.

_Hey everyone! Another chapter! Please tell me what you think! Please review! Reviews make me happy _

_Allons-y!_


	35. Clipped

35. Clipped

Vienna blinked hard, the room slowly coming into focus. There was a group of blurry faces above her. One was holding something silver, something that looked like a knife.

She kicked out, knocking their feet out from under them. They fell heavily to the floor. She moved to elbow the person and retrieve the weapon, but someone grabbed her. She turned quickly and her mouth flew open.

It was Alastor Moody.

"That's enough. Miss Alden is it?" he said in his gruff voice. The previous events went spinning through her mind. Her argument with Snape, the fight, the blood. She looked down at her side and groaned. Her left arm was covered in deep wounds, a deep gash along one of her ribs. She could feel the stickiness of blood along her face.

She groaned, trying to get up. "Thank Merlin for shock," she muttered, looking at a deep gash that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. "Urgh! Is that my bone? That's grodey," she said in a very disconnected manner.

"Let's see what we have here," Moody said kneeling and staring intently at her wounds.

"Sectesempra," Vienna said softly.

"Excuse me?"  
"That's the curse he used."

"I've never heard of that," Moody said, his eyebrows knitting together.

"I have," Vienna said in a matter of fact voice.

"Come on, let's get you up to the Hospital Wing," He said, helping her up. She cried out as he lifted her up.

"Sorry," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Why?" he asked. "At least you were paying attention enough to deflect most of the curse. Constant vigilance! That's what I'm always telling the new recruits at the Ministry. Got in a good shot too before you went down, very impressive Miss Alden."

"Wait, where'd that sniveling little- I mean, where'd Snape go?"

Moody pointed to the ground in front of him where Snape was lying unconscious. "That was a good shot- I mean, oh dear, I hope he'll be ok."

Moody gave her an appraising look. "I saw what he did. You don't have to pretend. Hexed you while your back was turned like a scummy coward."

"Vienna, are you ok?" Sirius asked, appearing at her other side. "Well you've got to be ok, you just kicked James. Spilt the rest of our-" he trailed off, looking at Moody like a mouse caught in the gaze of a grizzled old cat. "-Tea. We keep it in a flask. You never know what someone might slip in it," he added hopefully.

"Too true boy," Moody replied.

They made their way to the Hospital Wing, the party breaking up in their wake. Madame Pomfry went off on her usual tirade when she spotted Vienna, shoving potions down her throat and muttering a song-like incantations under her breath.

"Well, Miss Alden, I hope you apply for the Auror program at the Ministry. We need more recruits like you, with spunk!"

"I will definitely be applying," Vi beamed. He nodded at her and then Sirius before heading for the door.

"And remember, constant vigilance!" he added before departing.

"Shove over," Sirius said when Madame Pomfry closed her office door. She scooted over and he climbed into the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her hair mindlessly. She leaned into him, tucking her head underneath his chin. Her side was really starting to hurt now.

"What were you and Snivillus fighting about?" Sirius asked into her hair.

"Nothing special, he was just trying to start trouble as usual. He must be getting worse at lying because this one was totally ridiculous."

"Why, what was it?" Sirius asked.

"Oh he said that the thing I couldn't remember was you cheating on me," she said, rolling her eyes. "Which doesn't even make sense! I mean, you're one of the most trustworthy people I know. You would _never_ do anything like that!"

Sirius was silent, just stroking her hair. They stayed like that for a while, in silence, Sirius mentally fighting with himself. In the end his conscious won. "Well-" he said, feeling his stomach drop. "What if I had? What if I'd made a huge mistake? What if-" he stopped and looked down at her face, waiting for her wrath, but still wanting the hold her for as long as possible before everything ended.

Her face was peaceful, serene even.

She was fast asleep.

_AHHHH! Another chapter! And I still have to finish all that stupid AP work. But this is definitely more important! So as always, thanks for reading and a special shout out to SuchStuffAsDreams for the awesome reviews. She did like four in one night and like crazy long ones! And thanks to everyone else who's been reviewing, LovelyEvil, Arina-Peachy, ilovetheweasleys, candylovinchild, NiX Readaholic17 and lilydunlop123! They mean a lot! So what did you think of this chapter? Thoughts on Sirius? What do you think's going to happen next? And what's going to happen with Vienna and Snape, because we know they won't let it lie? Thanks for reading, please review! Reviews are awesome _

_Allons-y._

_Oh, and PS SuchStuffAsDreams, yes I am American, (no matter how hard I try, or how many British dictionaries I memorize) and I'm totally going to watch the Inbetweeners! I marked it on Netflix and everything. Now I just have to wait for the second season of Sherlock and the first of Misfits to be released to Netflix and I'm set _


	36. Figure in Black

36. Figure in Black

Dear Vienna,

I truly hope you feel better. That was awful luck at the Christmas party. I saw the whole thing happen, and I want you to know how brave you were. I had a lovely time talking to you and look forward to future correspondence.

Yours Truly, Ace

Vienna read the note over once again, smiling at the vase of lilies by her bed.

"Are you reading that again?" Sirius said with a raised eyebrow as he reappeared, paper bag in hand.

"Shut up," Vi said, tucking it back into the flowers. Sirius laughed and raised the paper bag.

"Do I want to know what's in that?" Vienna asked dubiously.

"Probably," Sirius said, grinning.

"Is that full of spiders, because I swear I'll kill you if it is. I _hate_ bugs!"

"Yes it's definitely spiders," Sirius said sarcastically, pulling out a large chocolate chip cookie and handing it to her. "I'm definitely bringing my girlfriend _spiders_ after she's been attacked. Because that's totally logical."

"You and James used to bring them when I wasn't your girlfriend, so I figured I'd check," she said, taking a bite of the cookie.

"That was before-"

"You were trying to get in my pants?" Vienna said, a devilish glint in her eye. She grinned at Sirius's shocked expression. She laughed. "I would say it's a joke, but…"

"Oh my god Alden," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"Well, it does seem to be an established pattern," she said, still laughing.

"I'm bringing spiders next time," Sirius said, shaking his head. Vi gave him a funny little smile before kissing him on the cheek.

"Love 'ya."

"You're definitely cheekier when you're on pain meds," Sirius said, breaking off half a cookie.

"That's probably why Madame Pomfry isn't the fondest of me," Vienna said thoughtfully.

"Probably," Sirius laughed. "So when are you getting out?" Sirius asked.

"Like an hour or two I think. I'm getting out in time for the carriages."

"Oh yeah, about that, do you want to stay at my place for Christmas?" he asked hopefully. "I mean, you don't have to, I know you normally stay here or go to Lily's-"

"I'd love to," she said with a smile.

Three hours later Sirius, Vienna, James, Lily, Remus and Peter all packed themselves into one of the horseless carriages.

"WOOOOOOO! CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!" James yelled as the carriage took off.

"Shut it," Lily said, laughing.

"Oh, come on Lils, it's the end of term!"

"But we've still got a fair bit of homework," Vienna said.

"Yeah, cause you're totally doing homework while you're staying at Sirius's," James said smirking.

"Oi!" Sirius said angrily but Lily had already punched him in the arm. Hard.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

"You know what that was for you idiot."

Vienna was determinedly ignoring him, looking out at the snow topped trees. The only sign she'd heard him was the pink flush in her pale cheeks.

"He was only joking," Sirius whispered in her ear. "You know that." He threaded his fingers threw hers. She gave him a small smile.

The carriages rattled on until they'd reach the little Hogsmeade Station where the scarlet steam engine was already billowing smoke.

"We'll meet up with you later!" Lily said, dragging James to the front of the train towards the Prefect compartment.

"See you later," Remus said with a smile.

"Shall we find a compartment then?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, let's get on with it, it's absolutely freezing out here," Peter said.

"Alright, on you lot go," Vienna said, ushering them onto the train.

"What about you?"

"I'll be right on, I think I left something on the carriage," she said, pointing. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a tic."

"Alright," Peter said, jumping aboard.

"See you in a minute," Sirius said.

Vienna drifted back through the crowd, students jostling her still bandaged arm. She winced but kept pushing through. She'd seen someone through the hoard of people, someone who looked as if they didn't quite belong.

It was a figure in a long black cloak with the hood pulled low over the person's face. They were standing in a lone group of trees at the edge of the station. She pushed through faster, trying to reach the figure. They raised a gloved hand and stuck something in the fork of a silver tree branch. Vienna broke into a run but the figure turned, disappearing into the swarm of students.

She reached the trees and tugged the letter out of the fork and slit it open. Inside was a single piece of parchment and a key.

Answers Lie here.

47 Porchester Road, Bayswater, London

Check the floorboards.

Vienna looked wildly around for the cloaked figure, but she was completely alone.

_Who is the mysterious figure in black? Will Vienna find the letters she stashed under the floorboards? Please review Thanks as always._

_Allons-y._


	37. Paper Tigers

37. Paper Tigers

"Nice of you to join us," Sirius said, looking up from his and Peter's game of Exploding Snap. "What took you so long? We were starting to think you'd gone back up to the castle."

"Yeah, Sirius was freaking out," Peter said, grinning.

"Shut it," Sirius said, shooting him a dirty look. Vienna sat down without answering, still staring at the envelope. "What have you got there?" Sirius asked. Vienna passed him the envelope, staring in turn at the silver key. She turned it in her fingers experimentally, as if it were something other than a key.

"What the hell?" Sirius asked after he read the note. "Who gave this to you?"

"Dunno," she said, still staring at the key.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I dunno. They had there hood up." She held the key up to the light.

"So you just go up to some random person who you have no idea who they are and they give you a key and a note telling you to look under the floorboards?"

"Pretty much," she said unconcernedly.

"And that doesn't seem the least bit sketchy to you?"

"Nope."

"Really?" Peter asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "Not in the least?"

Vienna held two of her fingers about an inch apart. "About that much," she said. "Oh and Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"The cards are about to-" The deck of cards in his hand exploded, shrouding him in a thick cloud of smoke. "Never mind."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Why does it smell like gunpowder in here?" Lily said, sliding open the door."

"You know, the usual," Sirius said, scooting over to make room for Remus. Lily and James sat across from them where Peter was looking stricken, hopelessly stroking the place where his left eyebrow had been only seconds before.

"I reckon that's a good look for you Wormy," James said, smirking. "You'll be raking in the girls."

"Shut it," Peter said, making a face.

"What's that?" Remus said, looking at the note in Sirius's hand. "47 Porchester, that's your apartment, isn't it Vi?

"Haven't the foggiest," Vienna said. "That's the thing about amnesia. You typically can't remember."

Remus stuck his tongue out at her. Vienna mirrored him.

"Seriously, are you guys five?" James said, though he cracked a grin.

"Yes, I'm definitely five," Vienna said. "That's why I beat you on Slughorn's last exam."

"That doesn't count, you totally cheated!" James said, still grinning.

"How did I cheat? Well, other than stealing Snape's notes on antidotes. But that doesn't count, I gave those to you after."

"Vi, who gave this to you?" Remus said holding the note.

"I dunno, someone in a black cloak, they kept their hood up."

"Why'd you go and talk to them in the first place?"

"I didn't talk to them, they just kinda grabbed my attention and then they held up the envelope and stuck it in a tree branch before disappearing. You're right, that does sound a bit sketchy now that I think about it," she said turning back to Sirius.

"Who has a key to your apartment?"

"AMNESIA, REMEMBER?"

"Oh, right. Are you always such a pain?" James said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, yes indeed," she said grinning.

"This is really odd," Lily said, flipping the note over.

"You're saying that to the girl who can't even remember where she lives? Some bloke in a cloak isn't weird at all in comparison. Some bloke in a flying, time traveling police box, that might be a bit strange, but then again when you consider the fact that we regularly fly around on broomsticks and can make things appear at will, is it really odd? I mean is anything really odd?"

The stared at her blankly.

"I forgot none of you watch the telly," she said. "I think Madame Pomfry may have overdone the pain relief again. I think I'm going to have a run down the corridor," she said getting up.

"Positively barmy," James said as she shut the compartment door. Vienna breathed on the window, writing "James Potter is a floppy wanded dementor boggerer*" on the glass.

"OI!" James yelled, but she was already on her way down the corridor. She walked all the way down to the back of the train, looking into each compartment in turn. Finally she found what she was looking for and slipped inside a compartment.

The voices of the four boys inside died at once as she sat down, staring steadily at the sallow boy in front of her. The next second Avery, Mulciber, and Regulus had drawn their wands, staring at her murderously. She ignored them.

"I know it was you," she snarled. "It had to be you. Tell me what you want. Tell me why you keep doing this."

Snape smiled. "I haven't the foggiest what you mean."

"What the hell do you mean?" Vienna spat. "Get your wand away from me Avery."

"Bet that's not what you say to Sirius," he sniggered. She punched him in the face.

"Are you ever going to learn to keep your mouth shut around me, Avery? It never seems to work out that well for you."

"Ow, you fucking twat!" He said, clutching his now-broken nose.

"You lot, get out of here for a moment," Snape said, still staring at Vienna, his lips curling.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mulciber said, looking aghast. "I say we hex her. It's not like she wouldn't do us if she had the chance!"

"I most definitely would not 'do you' if I had the chance."

"Why the fuck are you always such a pretentious bitch? You know, you wouldn't be half bad looking if you took the stick out of your arse-"

"Too bad for you, you'd still be ugly," she shot back.

"Come on," Regulus said, getting up. "Let's leave them to it."

"Yeah right," Avery said angrily, still clutching his nose. "She broke my fucking nose. _Again!"_

"You'd make it easier on yourself if it wasn't such a big target. Then maybe I'd break something else."

"Can you guys just go? I hate listening to your drivel," Snape said.

"She started it-"

"Honestly, sometimes I forget you're not twelve. Still using rudimentary comebacks and getting beat up by girls."

"I thought you were on our side!"

"I am. And I'm assuming Alden is going to talk to me alone one way or the other. Or do you not remember what happened last time?"

They turned and left, slamming the door behind them.

"What'd you want?" Snape drawled.

"You know exactly what I want!"

"I'm sorry, while I might be unbelievably cleverer than you, I haven't the faintest idea about what you are driveling about."

"Yes you do, you said as much at Christmas. Or can't you remember?"

"I can remember it fine thank you," he said, going slightly pink.

"Then stop playing games. You said you knew what I can't remember, and now I get this," she said, holding up the key. "From somebody in a black cloak. Now tell me Severus, how the hell do you know where I live?"

He made a face. "All right, now I really don't know what you're on about."

"Why did you give me this?"

"I didn't."

"Why?"

"I told you, I didn't give you the bloody key!"

"Well than who did? Was is Avery? Mulciber?"

"Don't you think that if I had the key to your place, I don't know, I'd burn it down, or send your knickers to the Minister? I wouldn't just give you back your key you idiot."

Vienna surveyed him closely. "Fine," she said, tucking the key back into her pocket. Snape rolled his eyes and propped his feet up on the wall.

"You want to go now Alden?"

"Shove it greasy," she said, slamming the door. She could hear him laughing.

"So are we allowed to go in now?" Avery asked, acidly. His nose was fixed now but his shirt was still covered in blood.

"Go ask Daddy," she said pushing past.

Vienna marched back to the compartment and sat down without a word.

"Good run then? Where'd you go?" James asked jokingly.

"Another dead end," Vienna said, turning and staring moodily out of the window.

_Another chapter and still no answers! Do you think Snape was lying? Who's this mysterious figure? Will Vienna go to 47 Porchester Road or will she ignore our masked informer? Tune in next time for answers and more than likely mounting mystery!_

_Allons-y _

*_From Harry Potter Puppet Pals, Wizards Swears_


	38. Fly By Us

38. Fly By Us

"Cheer up Vi, its Christmas holidays," Sirius said as they left the station, waving to the others as their parents picked them up. She gave him a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Oh, come on, you can do better than that!"

She shook her head and started walking, grinning despite herself. "Vienna! Vienna, it's the other way!"

"Come on," he said, his face breaking into a smile. He swung her into his arms and started down the street. "How about we hit a pub?"

"Let me go you great lump!" she said laughing and unsuccessfully trying to jump free.

"No way," he said kissing her on the nose.

"Let me down!"

"Is that blood?" Sirius asked, suddenly concerned. He placed her back onto the pavement and stared at her intently. She looked at her hand which still had clear traces of Avery's blood.

"That's nothing, it's not mine. I just got into a fight with Avery, that's all. Broke his nose."

"No, you're bleeding, look at your jumper." She looked and sure enough there was a thin stripe of red slowly spreading. She put her hand to it and pulled it away, her fingers soaked in blood.

"Come on, my flat's only a few blocks," Sirius said tugging her forward.

Sirius's flat was certainly a bit farther than a few blocks. By the time they got back Vienna was leaning heavily on his shoulder, the stain covering most of the left side of her jumper.

"It's ok, you'll be fine," Sirius said, trying to unlock the door with shaky fingers. Vienna gave him a weak smile.

"I didn't even notice."

"Got it!" he said, pushing the door open. "It's right- Oh, come here," he said, sweeping her into his arms once again. He carried her up the stairs waving his wand at the topmost door so that it flew open.

"Ok!" he said, laying her on the bed. "Let's see, essence of dittany!" he said, running into the other room. Vienna's eyes fluttered shut, one hand still clutched on her side.

"Here we have it!" Sirius said, reappearing with a bottle full of brown liquid and a fluffy towel. "Oh, Vi!" he said, tossing the little bottle onto the bed and running a hand down her cheek. "Please don't hit me for this later," he murmured, pulling off her bloodstained jumper and quickly undoing the buttons on her blouse.

Sirius grabbed the towel and pressed it to the deep gash on her side. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd just stayed out of trouble for a change," Sirius said to Vi's unconscious form as he look at the ragged wound. He took the bottle of dittany and dropped three drops onto the gash. It knitted up before his very eyes, already looking a few days old.

Vienna's eye fluttered open. It was dark, with unfamiliar shadows looming out of the blackness. She sat up quickly, grabbing her side. It was still painful. She got out of bed and made for the door, swearing loudly when she tripped over something large on the floor.

"Vi, honey, are you ok?" Sirius said, opening the door as she hopped in a circle, clutching her foot. "I see you've found your trunk," he said fighting a smile as he dragged it out of her way. "I've seen you fall fifteen feet off a broom and complain less."

"That's different," she said, still clutching her foot.

"Why, because you broke your arm?"

"I don't know! Maybe the trunk was just really, really solid."

"Sure, whatever you say," Sirius said, mussing up her hair. She put her hand on his and sat on his lap, her head falling gently on his shoulder.

"Stop it," she said tiredly, nestling into his shoulder. "You'll put knots in it."

Sirius grinned, twining his fingers in hers. "I know another way we could put knots in it-"

"Sirius!" she said, laughing as he flipped her onto the bed. He kissed her, his hands tracing up her naked thighs to the hem of his tee shirt she wore. Her hands found his and knitted themselves between his fingers.

"Not tonight," she said softly. "Can we just sleep tonight? I'm just really worn out."

Sirius stared at her a moment, a foreign hunger clear in his eyes before rolling over and getting up.

"What are you doing?" Vienna said, her eyebrows knitting together.

"You said you wanted to get some sleep. I'll be on the couch in the other room," he said opening the door.

"Aren't you going to stay here? It is your bed after all," she said, looking at him hopefully. He looked at her for a moment before saying, "Shove over," and climbing in, wraping his arms around her.

She fell asleep in a matter of minutes, her head nestled on his shoulder.

Vienna awoke early the next morning and quietly rolled out of bed. Her side was still aching. She examined it in the mirror, wincing as the fabric of her shirt rubbed against it.

It was still an angry red line ringed with purple bruises. She quickly changed into a pair of Levi's and a jumper. That was definitely the worst she'd gotten of Snape's signature hex. And that was saying something considering she'd been the beta tester during its developmental phase.

"What are you doing up so early?" Sirius asked blearily, rubbing his eyes. Vienna jumped, too lost in her own thoughts to have noticed him wake up. Sirius laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Vienna quickly pulled the sweater down, her cheeks heating up.

"It's nothing," she said quickly.

"Is it your side again?"

"Sirius, I'm fine, really-"

"Vienna, just let me take care of you," Sirius said, coming up behind her. She bit her lip but allowed him to lead her to the bed.

"Just lie down, ok?" Sirius asked. She did and he rolled up the hem of her sweater, revealing a thick strip of her midriff. He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the bottle of dittany, releasing a few drops on the angry skin. Almost at once it seemed to become a pink puckered line.

"See," Sirius said, stowing the bottle in a drawer. "Was that really that hard?"

"No," she said grudgingly before sitting up. Sirius grinned.

"Ok, so normally I would make breakfast, but I haven't gone to the market yet-"

"That's fine, I know this great place down by the river. My treat," she said with a smile. Then it slipped of her face.

"What's the matter?" Sirius said as he pulled on his coat.

"I don't know why I know that," she said, a look of great concentration on her face.

"I don't know why I know half the things I do," Sirius said, holding the door open for her. She shook her head.

"No it's not like that. It's like I remember, like things are starting to slip through."

_Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating in a while, my computer snuffed it. So now I have a new one, which is wonderful, except I hate the keyboard, because it's different from my old one which means it takes me twice as long to type. ARRRRGG! But nevermind._

_So guess what? I've got the whole rest of the story planned out, which, holy crap is a lot of chapters. But it means I can stop sitting here with my head on the keyboard going "AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGG! WRITERS BLOCK!" so hopefully I'll be able to update faster. Except for fluff chapters, because I f*cking hate writing fluff (I say as I give you one. Sorry)_

_So just to let you know, a lot of the rest of the story is going to be a bit chunky-er, which is awesome for me because it means less fluff, but you can leave your comments on that. To be honest, it's definitely necessary considering the rest of the story is going to span I think eighteen or so years. I'll have to check my math but around that. But don't worry about it being super short or whatever for that length because it'll probably end up being a hundred or so chapters longer. Is that ridiculous?_

_So yeah, no you've heard my whole rant on writing and fluff and nonsense and I know some of you hate it when I leave super long author's notes but it was very necessary in an unnecessary sort of way. _

_Please review and what not._

_Loves ya all._


	39. I Hope You Understand

39. I Hope You Understand

"You were right, that place was really good," Sirius said as they wandered down the street. "I mean, despite the smell of the Thames-"

"Shut it!" Vienna said shoving him playfully. "You're such a city-snob, you know that."

"Oh, I'm definitely a city-snob," he said laughing. "I just know what's good! I've lived here all my life, I should."

"Well I _like _the Thames," she said.

"You're the only one."

Vienna rolled her eyes, looping her arm in his as they crossed down a side street. They proceeded in comfortable silence, Sirius occasionally pointing out points of interest or pulling her down streets where he knew there was a cool window display or a motorbike dealer.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sirius said, walking around it with a glazed expression. "Look, it even has a sidecar!"

"That is the most demeaning institution I have ever seen attached to a vehicle," Vienna muttered, eyeing it with distaste.

"What?" Sirius asked, breaking away from the bike.

"I said 'what if it rains? Then you can't ride it," she said, smiling benignly.

"Oh, well I'll work that out later," Sirius said, turning back to the bike. Vienna rolled her eyes.

"Hey, can I meet you back at your place?" Vienna asked a few minutes later after Sirius had explained the complexities of the chrome tail pipe. (Or something like that, she'd stopped listening halfway through, smiling and nodding whenever he paused for breath. To be honest she didn't much care for motorbikes or cars, but racing brooms, those were another matter.)

Sirius looked up, confused. "Why? I thought we'd go see the Buckingham Palace and try to get the Muggles in the funny hats to talk."

"I just wanted to stop by my place, you know," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"You're still on about that letter aren't you?" Sirius said, fixing her with a piercing stare.

"Kinda," she said and Sirius shook his head. "Well aren't you curious too? I mean, how would someone have my key? And I don't remember it at all. What if I forgot something important?"

"Important like what?" Sirius asked, a strange expression on his face.

"Like what if I left the kettle on for four months! I don't know! I just feel like there's something really important that I'm missing and maybe it'll help me remember."

Sirius sighed. "Alright then, let's go."

"Don't you what to talk the salesman about the transmonty?" she asked.

"You mean the transmission?"

"Probably."

"Honestly, were you even listening to me?"

"A bit. Up until the transmogrifier."

"It's called the transmission!"

"Sorry, did you say something?" she said with a grin. He grabbed her by the shoulders and thoroughly messed up her hair. She went cross eyed looking at a strand between her eyes before blowing it out of her face. Sirius laughed as she pulled a hat over her now rumpled hair.

"Look, there's Porchester!" Vienna said, pointing at the sign. She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, counting the numbers as she went.

"There's 47! Come on!" she said excitedly, pulling him up the steps. She pulled the door open with trembling hands.

The hall was dark, the light over the staircase burnt out. Vienna cautiously surveyed the landing before heading upstairs, Sirius following in her wake.

It was an old building with dark molding and deeply colored wall paper that was peeling in places, though the overall appearance was neat. Vienna crossed to the end of the hall to a little door with "V.A." posted on it in peeling letters.

"This is it," Vienna said to Sirius as she pulled the key from her pocket. Her hand was trembling. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, hesitating on the threshold.

The interior was dark, the shades all drawn, the only light shining from the sliver between the curtains. Sirius reached around her, fumbling for the light switch.

The light was jarring. If the hall had been a bit shabby the flat was downright derelict. There were half torn down posters, clothes strewn about and most disturbing of all a cluster of steak knives that had been hurled at the wall with deadly accuracy.

Vienna stood with wide eyes, looking at the destruction before her.

"Nice place," Sirius said, holding back a grin. She didn't answer him, just stared. Then without a word she stormed into the kitchen. "Where are you going?" Sirius asked, following her.

"Something had to have happened," she said as he reached the door. She was on her hands and knees, prying at the floorboards with her fingernails.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked.

"Checking the floorboards!"

"For what?"

"Anything!" she said looking up. "Look, Sirius, I know myself and I know that something had to have happened for the place to look like this."

"How do you know something had to have happened? I mean to be honest you're not the neatest person in the world to begin with."

"The knives in the wall were a big clue," she said, scrabbling at the floorboards.

"I'll go look in the other room then," Sirius said, looking slightly frightened. He ducked into the half open door at the end of the hall to what was unmistakably her bedroom. There were torn posters here as well, along with torn photographs. He crossed to the other side of the bed and immediately saw what the 'bloke in the cloak' had meant by 'check the floorboards.'

One of the planks had been left askew. Sirius pulled it up and reached inside, pulling out a thick wad of envelopes bound together with a length of string.

He recognized them at once. They were all covered with his own scrawling handwriting, all saying the same thing, or at least amounting to it. He stared at them for a moment.

Not a single one had been opened.

Suddenly he heard a loud crash from the other room. He took a deep breath and stuffed the letters into his pocket before sliding the plank back in place. He shut his eyes hard for a moment before ducking outside to see what had happened.

Vienna was kneeling on the floor in the living room, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Vi…?" Sirius asked, slowly approaching. As she came into view he saw she was fumbling with something on the floor, her hands soaked in blood.

"Vienna, what happened?" Sirius asked, kneeling down at once.

It was the broken glass from a picture frame that was lying a short distance away. Sirius remembered it vividly without the familiar faces to remind him.

It was a picture of the two of them in sixth year. They were standing in front of the Three Broomsticks smiling and waving, bundled up against the cold. Remus had taken the picture at his request and he had given it to her for her birthday in May.

"It was just _lying_ there!" she said, moving faster than ever to pick up the pieces of broken glass and cutting herself once more. She dropped the pieces and clutched her hand.

Sirius took her hands in his. "Stop Vi," he said, staring into her eyes. "Please just stop." She looked away, her lip trembling and tears cascading down her cheeks.

"But it was just lying there and there's nothing under the floorboards and-"

"Vienna, listen to me," Sirius said, clutching her face in his hands. "It's ok, it's just a picture frame."

"But it-"

"Vienna, I don't care about the stupid picture frame. I care about you! And I don't want you to be hurt," he said and hugged her to him. She was still shaking with tears, and Sirius kissed her on the forehead before pulling her closer. When she finally pulled away, her eyes still shining with tears, she looked down quickly wiping away another tear and adding another streak of red.

"I'm s-sorry, I'm just b-being s-stupid," she mumbled. Sirius put a hand under her chin, gently lifting his face t hers.

"You are not," he said quietly. "Now let me fix your hands." He gave a quick sweep of his wand and the wounds knitted together and with a second the blood disappeared.

"What do you say we go do something fun?" Sirius said with a hopeful smile. She nodded, still not looking at him. "Come on!" he said, lifting her to her feet. "How 'bout a smile?" She gave him a sort of giggle, half-way between a laugh and a hiccup. "Alright!"

He held the door open for her, the little bundle of letters weighing on his heart.

_Hi again, it's me! Well of course it's me, unless I have an evil twin. Though I'd like to think that I'd be the evil twin. I'm just that awesome._

_AHHHH Tangent tangerine, brought to you by your own crazy author! So, what'd you think? Any guesses on who the mysterious bloke in the cloak is? Is it actually a bloke? What about the letters? Opinions, opinions! _

_PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEA SEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW! They make me happy Reviews=Author Food_

_Oh and PS I'm going away for about a week so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write. I'll try to post a chapter on Sunday and Thursday when I get back. It's kinda a fragmented vacation because I have to go to a funeral in the middle of it But don't hate me too much, I promise I'll update loads when I get back!_


	40. Ignorance and Bliss

40. Ignorance and Bliss

Vienna swore loudly at the bacon went up in flames. "No! No no no no no no no! Come on!"

"Vi, what's going on?" Sirius asked blearily, appearing in the kitchen. His eyes snapped open as he saw the flames and he pulled his wand out, murmuring "Aguamenti."

A jet of water flew from the tip of his wand, reducing Vienna's cooking to a smouldering mess.

"I'm sorry," Vienna said, covering her face with her hands. "I was just trying to make breakfast. It didn't look so hard from the telly."

"It's fine," Sirius said, clearing the mess with another sweep of his wand. "Just a tip, the bacon does not need to be on fire."

"I know, I didn't mean to, I was just-" Vienna looked on the verge of tears. "I'm really sorry!"

"Look, it's fine, no harm done," Sirius said with a smile. "Here, I'll show you how to do it. It's not that hard, really."

Sirius pulled her over and grabbed the carton of egg, breaking each one in turn on the lip of the frying pan. In the other he started frying up the rest of the bacon. "See, you just lit the oil on fire," Sirius said as he flipped the lot onto a plate. He turned back to where Vienna was still standing with her hands overs her mouth.

"I'm an idiot," she said through them.

"Yeah," Sirius said with a smile. Then he hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. "Merry Christmas you big idiot."

"Merry Christmas to you too," she said laughing. "Hey, look what I found," she said, pulling him into the living room. Sirius grabbed the plate of food as he went.

Vienna grinned as she pointed to the large evergreen tree that now dominated his small sitting room. It was decorated with a whole manner of things. Strings of Butterbeer lids, several homemade ornaments and several spoons.

"Wow," Sirius said, fighting a smile. "The spoons are a nice touch."

"Well I couldn't find any ornaments and they were shiny."

"You could have just transfigured them," Sirius said, still trying not to grin.

"_You_ could've. They'd have just blown up if I tried. So we have spoons," she said grinning widely.

"It's definitely interesting," Sirius said, surveying it once more.

"You hate it, don't you?" she said, her expression falling.

"I don't hate it!"

"Of course you do, it's really tacky, isn't it? I should have done snow or bought some fairies or something."

"No! It's wonderful, really, it's just funny. It's a lot different from Christmases at my house."

"Why, what were they like?" Vienna asked, taking a strip of bacon off the plate.

"Well, usually we had this big extravagant tree with old the old air loom ornaments and I always ended up breaking one, so then my mother would scream until Kreature brought her a bourbon," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at the memory.

"Lovely," Vienna said, biting back a grin.

"So what do you normally do on Christmas?" Sirius asked, digging into the eggs.

"We've been through this," she said laughing. "It's normally Christmas at Hogwarts with the added benefits of watching all the teachers get smashed."

"No, I mean before, with your parents."

Vienna looked at the floor for a long moment. "Vi, I didn't mean to upset you-"

"I'm not upset," she said, looking up. "I was thinking. I don't really remember. I mean, we had a tree and stuff but Mum and Dad usually worked on Christmas so it was just me and Reg. I remember he used to let me eat cookie dough for breakfast every year. He couldn't cook either," she said, laughing. Sirius smiled.

"Hey, I got you something!" Vienna said excitedly. She dug in the back of the presents and pulled out a large box. She gave it to him, still grinning. He ripped of the paper and pulled off the top.

"It's what Muggles wear when they ride motorbikes," she said happily as he held up the black leather jacket. "If you don't like it I have the slip-"

"This is awesome!" he said, putting it on. "I wanted one of these!"

"Good!" she said and grinned even wider. "I wasn't sure, you know, it being Muggle and whatever-"

"No, this is great!" he said before sweeping her into a tight hug and kissing her. "Thank you so much! How does it look?"

"Pretty badass," she said, kissing him again.

They opened the rest of the presents. Lily had sent them both books, Peter, what seemed like half of Zonko's. Remus had sent Vienna a pair of earrings that were little Gryffindor lions and Sirius a new Quidditch bat. James's mum had sent over a whole basket of sweets while James had sent Sirius a giant box of condoms in which was a broom care kit. He sent Vienna a little 35mm camera to which he'd spello-taped a picture of himself waving a white flag.

"He must've opened my present early," Vienna said, laughing.

"What was it?"

"One of Lily's home videos from two summers ago."

"I don't get it."

"Petunia was laying out exactly what she'd do if Lily ever brought home a wizard boyfriend to the house. It was very detailed. Oh and I got him new Quidditch gloves. Like the ones Wronski has."

"I'll bet he loved those," Sirius said, grinning.

"I hope so," Vienna said.

She watched Sirius open his much larger stack of presents, nearly falling off her chair laughing when he opened a large box from his brother that contained the ugliest pair of dress robes she'd seen in her entire life.

"They're purple snake skin! And lace!" she said between gales of laughter. Sirius threw them at her, fighting a grin. Vienna immediately pulled them on and stood on the couch, striking her most ridiculous pose.

"You look like a drag queen," Sirius said, laughing.

"Thank you, thank you very much," she said in her best Elvis voice.

"Take those off, I can't take you seriously!" She waggled her eyebrows before obliging.

"You should definitely wear those for Slughorn's next party," she said in a mock serious voice.

"Vienna, just chill out for a second-"

"I think they'd be very attractive-"

"Please, just-"

"And James might have to borrow them after he sees you in them. You could start a trend!"

"Vi, just sit down a moment, I have something for you!"

"Is it matching ones?" she laughed. Sirius ignored her, merely handing her a small silver box with a lopsided bow tied on the top.

"What's this?" she said looking up at him.

"Your Christmas present, now open it!"

"Sirius, you're already letting me stay here, you didn't need to get me anything."

"Just shut up and open it."

Vienna lifted the lid carefully and gasped.

It was a golden locket, much like the one she always wore, though smaller and considerably less dented. At Sirius's urging she undid the clasp and opened it to find two small moving photographs: one of the two of them after a Quidditch match the year before, muddy and smiling from ear to ear, the other a group shot of the six of them by the lake.

"Sirius I-" Vienna said, stammering for words.

He just smiled.

_I know, I know, I haven't updated in a while! Sorry about that! I've been super busy with AP work and XCountry and life. So here's another chapter. And its fluff. And you already know my views on fluff. Which is ironic since I consider myself a cynic. And yet I keep writing it. Bad author!_

_So guess what? No fluff next chapter. And guess what else? Badass Vienna is coming back, which means moody, angry, ready-to-clean-someone's-clock. Maybe it'll be Sirius's, but I'll never tell._

_Bad Author, bad!_

_Ok, so the schizo rant is over. At ease good sirs!_

_PS Thanks for the reviews! I love you guys! _


	41. Don't Pay No Mind

42. Don't Pay No Mind

"Thanks again Alden!"

"Yeah, we owe you one!"

Vienna ground her teeth as Avery and Mulciber rounded the corner, their laughter floating behind them. It had been a week since the last Quidditch match and they were still laying it on.

"Don't listen to them," Sirius said softly. She ignored him.

Sirius was about the only person who didn't seem mad at her. James was downright furious that they'd lost the match, Lily slightly cross with her for not blocking the Bludger and landing James in the Hospital Wing for two days and she was pretty sure Remus was avoiding her, though she was also pretty sure that was because she'd been so short with him lately. And the Gryffindors were beside themselves. It was the first time in twelve years that Slytherin had overtaken them and they all blamed Vienna.

And she thought they were right. If she hadn't had been so preoccupied with this stupid wild goose chase of hers she would have been paying attention and she never would have missed that shot.

"Hey, Alden! We should send you a fruit basket or something! Thanks so much!"

She didn't even turn this time. "Just ignore them, they're just being prats," Sirius said, sounding tired. "Come on, let's grab some dinner."

"Not hungry," she mumbled. Sirius looked at her hard for a moment. Then he seemed to make up his mind and just said, "Fine, I'll see you in the common room then? Around eight?"

She mumbled something non-distinct and darted through the oak front doors to more gales of laughter.

Once outside, she leaned against the doors breathing hard. She could hear the chink of plates and the chorus of voices drifting from the Great Hall. She pushed herself away and set off to the Quidditch Pitch, her heart still racing. She hated that everyone seemed mad at her, even though she knew her friends would come around in a day or two.

She hated feeling alone and she did now more than ever.

Somehow something had changed over Christmas. She wasn't sure when, but she knew that little voice in her head had woken up after all that time she had spent shutting it up and it was screaming. She supposed it was because they'd visited her apartment. She hadn't been able to tell Sirius just how wrong it had felt, like someone had died.

She knew herself, knew how she reacted to traumatic things and it wasn't pretty.

She kicked open the trunk and unlatched both the Bludgers before soaring into the air.

It was getting harder and harder to see. Night had begun to fall an hour earlier and its inky blackness now blanketed the grounds. She ducked the first Bludger as it came hurtling toward her and sent the second barreling through the left hoop.

"Nice one," someone called and she started, not noticing the first Bludger had rocket back at her. She rolled quickly on her broom to avoid it but was too slow. It clipped her under the chin and sent her reeling. She put on a burst of speed and caught it as it came around for another go, diving for the trunk. She locked it in securely before turning to see the new arrival, spitting a mouthful of blood on the ground.

"Very ladylike," Remus said, an eyebrow raised.

"Duck," she said looking at him, half-amused.

"What?"

"Duck!" she said again as the first Bludger came hurtling at him. He covered his head but Vi jumped in front of him and caught it with a loud "Oof!" and locked it in the trunk. She turned back to Remus, clutching her stomach.

"That was the worst duck ever."

"Shut it," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "What are you still doing out here anyways? It's nearly half-midnight."

"Getting my teeth knocked out by Bludgers," she said, massaging her jaw where it had collided with the Bludger.

"Well, you better get to bed, we have that Transfiguration test tomorrow," he said as she lugged the trunk back in the locker rooms.

"Shit, I forgot about that," she said. "I was supposed to study with Sirius tonight."

"Well I figured you'd be down here," Remus said. "You take everything way too seriously sometimes. It's just a game."

"But it's my fault we lost! If I hadn't been thinking about what happened at the train station or at my apartment, I would have never missed that stupid shot."

Remus sighed. "Vienna, its one game, you can still win-"

"But it's not just one game Remus. It's this whole thing with losing my memories and that guy showing up out of the blue at the train station and then seeing my apartment all torn to bits. Something's wrong Remus. Something's really, really wrong and I can't get it out of my head."

_New Chapter! It'll probably be about a week or so for the next one; I actually really have to do my summer homework now, lol. So hopefully I can get it down today and tomorrow and get on to the action! Please review _


	42. It Stops Tonight

43. It Stops Now

It had been a week since Vienna's revelation, since she'd admitted to herself as much as Remus what she'd been feeling, the secret thoughts that came to her in the middle of the night, the things she was ashamed of.

Sirius had been a lot more distant, off planning _something_ with the rest of the Marauders leaving her plenty of time to think.

She'd managed to sneak off without anyone noticing and curl up in one of the nooks by the Hospital Wing. The common room was just too noisy and she'd gotten kicked out of the library for putting her feet on a table. She pulled a heavy volume out of her bag and began flipping through it. It'd been ages since she'd read anything just for fun and she particularly like this book. It had been a Christmas present from Remus two or three years ago and was full of adventure and night time investigations and the main character even had a funny name like her: Sherlock. And she was quite convinced he was secretly in love with his best friend, though she'd never say anything.

She immersed herself in the words, their spiraling tenor weaving a tantalizing web around her mind. It was easy to lose yourself in the world of Watson and Holmes, she thought as she read, everything with a simple explanation, nothing like how it was in the real world. Not like the four Death Eater attacks this week or the twelve dead in London or the blown up shop in Diagon alley. In Holmes's world everything had a reason, everything resting on a logical point. And hate was not logical, nor would it ever be.

She awoke with a start, not realizing she'd even fallen asleep. There was someone creeping down the corridor through the pale light of dawn. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

It was Remus.

He was limping, one arm of her shirt torn and bloody. Her eyes widened. "Remus? Remus, are you ok?"

He jumped and she stepped out from the shadows, wishing she'd done so before. "Oh hey Vi," he said cheerily, though she could hear the restraint it took. "I'm fine, just my furry little problem acting up," he said with a small smile.

"You're not blaming this on your rabbit. Rabbits don't even have claws. And they're little. What happened Remus?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine-"

"You're a terrible liar, that's what you are," she said, rolling her eyes. "Lean on my shoulder, we'll get you to the Hospital wing."

"I'm fine, really-"

"You have a broken ankle so shut it." Remus rolled his eyes and allowed her to help him. His ankle was killing him anyway, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Vienna helped him into the Hospital wing and onto one of the beds before going to get Madame Pomfry.

"Oh, not you again," she said heavily as she recognized Vienna's dark mane of hair. "What have you done this time?"

"It's not me, its Remus," she explained. "I don't know what happened but I think his ankle's broken and he's got some really nasty gashes-"

Madame Pomfry shook her head sadly and pulled several curtains around his bed. Vienna wasn't quite sure what to do so she sat down on a neighboring bed and waited. After a few minutes Madame Pomfry's voice drifted out from behind the curtains.

"We're going to try something new this time Remus."

It seemed strange to her that she said 'this time.' She made it sound like her got hurt all the time. She knew he was in the hospital wing a lot, but that was because he was ill, always ill…

She sat up straight as she heard a familiar incantation, an incantation like a song-

Her hands balled into fists. She knew that spell, knew what it was for, what it healed and who's handiwork it was. Those were cursed wounds and she knew they would never heal quite right, the mark of them would always be traceable on his skin. She gripped her side unconsciously where the angry pink lines had finally faded to silvery raised scars.

Snape had always had it out for Remus, always spreading nasty rumors about him and his illness, but even she never thought he'd attack him.

She stood up abruptly as Madame Pomfry pulled the curtains aside. Remus looked at her questioningly but she turned on her heel and stormed out, rage bubbling up inside her.

What had Remus ever done to anyone? He was so sweet, so mild-mannered. He never even went along with all the stupid pranks James and Sirius and Peter pulled on him, even making them feel bad about it. And what did he get for it? Scars.

She was starting to suspect that this wasn't the first time it had happened either. All those scars that covered his arms, how could she have never wondered where they came from?

And what about that time they'd all gone swimming in the lake? Hadn't she seen the scars that criss-crossed his chest? Had she just assumed they were a part of him like his blue eyes or crooked smile?

She hurtled down the stairs and down one of the corridors that led to the dungeon, skidding to a halt in front of an empty stretch of wall.

"SEVERUS SNAPE GET YOUR GREASY HAIR OUT HERE THIS MINUTE BEFORE I BLAST A HOLE IN THE WALL!"

She was met with silence, she pulled out her wand, preparing to do just that when it slid open and Snape stepped out, wearing his typical mask of contempt.

"I thought I recognized your dulcet tones," he said sarcastically. Vienna pushed him back and held the tip of her wand to his throat. She was breathing hard, a crazed look in her eyes.

"Shut up. Just shut up! I'm so done with you, you arrogant _evil_ little shit!"

She narrowed her eyes and pressed the wand harder into the hollow of his neck, steeling herself for what she was going to do next.

_Hey everyone! Sorry on taking so long. I've been super busy with school and sports and theatre and what not. But hopefully I'll be able to update a lot quicker now! Thanks for all the reviews, they're totally awesome! _

_So what do you think is going to happen next?_


	43. Feel Like Falling Down

44. Feel Like Falling Down

She had just opened her mouth to hurl the curse at him when he punched her in the stomach. Hard.

She doubled over, clutching her stomach and he pulled his wand from his pocket, snarling a curse she barley deflected. She missed the second one by a hair, but the third stuck home, hitting her square in the chest and opening her recently healed wounds.

"You think you're so right, going to be an Auror and whatever. Truth is you're just like me. You're still going to kill people. And everyone knows Crouch has legalized the Unforgivables against Death Eaters. How is what you're doing any different?"

Vienna dropped to her knees, clutching her side which was soaked in blood. Her wand dropped from her hand as he approached, her hands scrabbling desperately for it. He kicked it away almost lazily.

"How are you any different?"

"Why did you do it?" she shot back, ignoring the blood pouring from her side. .

"What are you on about?" he asked, honestly put off.

"Why did you do it to-" she said, trailing off, her hands slipping from her side.

"What the hell's going on?" a voice roared and Snape whipped around. Sirius was barreling down the stairs. He pushed Snape out of the way and scooped her up.

"What did you do to her?"

"I was only defending myself," Snape said arrogantly though he looked scared. Vienna looked up at him with glassy eyes. Sirius turned on his heels and sprinted up the stairs, leaving Snape standing next to a pool of blood.

Vienna woke up and it was dark. She was lying in bed, the curtains drawn. She tried to sit up but gasped as pain racked her stomach. She reached down. Her middle was heavily bandaged. She groaned as she remembered her fight with Snape.

Suddenly the hangings were ripped open. She realized now that she was in the boys dormitory. Sirius was standing in front of her, shaking with rage.

"What the HELL were you doing?" he spat.

"Snape attacked Remus-"

"No he didn't you stupid ass. Remus fell off his broom-"

"Remus doesn't have a broom."

"It doesn't matter! Why the hell do you always have to go and do this?

"Do what?" she asked, her temper flaring up.

"Go and pick fights! Get hurt! Do you only care about yourself?"

"I'm not doing it for myself-"

"Of course you are Vienna. You've always done it for yourself! This is all about your brother and your mum and dad! You can't bring them back! Not now not ever, and getting yourself killed isn't going to make a difference!"

"This wasn't about Reggie-"

"Of course it was! That's your whole thing, picking fights with people who screw with underdogs, I get it. But just because Reggie was a Squib-"

"SHUT UP ABOUT REGGIE," Vienna screamed. "This is just because you don't want me to be an Auror because you think I'll get killed. Well it's _my life!"_

"Do you not know that this affects me too? Do you even know what I'd do if you were killed?"

"It doesn't matter because I won't! I know I won't! why can't you except that I might be good at this?"

"LOOK AT YOURSELF! YOU HAVE NINE GASHES IN YOUR STOMACH! IT TOOK ME TWENTY MINUTES TO GET THEM TO STOP BLEEDING! DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU?"

Vienna glared at him angrily, grinding her teeth. "This is my choice-"

"I WILL NOT BURY YOU!" Sirius screamed, looking mad.

"FINE!" Vienna yelled back. She stood up and crossed to the door, her hands balling into fists.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STOP? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY?" Sirius yelled as she opened the door.

She stopped and turned, her anger melting from her face. It was replaced with such a heartbreaking sadness that Sirius took a step back.

"Because I'm not."

There was a beat of silence before Sirius spoke. "Then I guess it's over then isn't it?" Vienna opened her mouth in shock. "JUST GO! YOU'RE NOT HAPPY ANYWAY! JUST GO!"

She gave him a fleeting glance before darting through the door, eyes sparkling with tears. It slammed and Sirius collapsed onto the bed, his head in his hands. Vienna slid down the door the tears spilling over. She waited for him to open the door, waited for him to say he didn't mean it, but it stayed firmly shut.


	44. Forget Yesterday

45. Forget Yesterday

"You have to eat something," Lily said cajolingly. "Please?"

"Just drop it Lily," Vienna said darkly. She was a mess, her hair in a knot on the top of her head, and her skin paler than usual, her red-rimmed eyes especially prominent.

She looked up as James sat down next to Lily, Sirius's face sending shocks of pain through her that only partially had to do with the deep wounds in her midriff. He sat down, avoiding her gaze. She got up quickly, catching her foot on the bench and tripping.

"Nice knickers Alden," James shot, obviously trying to break the tension. Vienna didn't answer but merely turned on her heel and walked out, ducking her head as the whispers followed her.

It had turned out that the entire common room had heard her and Sirius's argument. And that meant that now everyone else knew about it too.

Sirius ducked his head as Vienna left, the sick feeling in his stomach settling like a heavy weight. It hadn't left him since it happened, since he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. Now he would give anything to take it back.

He spent the rest of the day in a fog, the loneliness inside him eating away his insides like a parasite. If only he were brave enough to apologize and ask her to take him back but he knew it was no use. It wouldn't change what the real issue was.

He knew it was selfish to ask her to give up her dream, but was it really so bad if it kept her alive?

And, the little voice in his head said, the little voice he hated because it spoke the truth, and it would keep her from ever finding out he'd lied or cheated.

Vienna didn't know what to do. Her heart had been ripped out and trampled and yet life still went on. First one week, then another. Soon the hurt had dulled to anger and finally only loss remained, like a phantom limb, the only reminder a feeling of incompleteness.

She did everything she was supposed to, did her homework, went to Quidditch practice, but sometimes she didn't really feel like her heart was in it. Or in the little in between moments when there was nothing to distract her when memories kept flitting back to her. Lying under the willow by the lake, trips to Hogsmeade, the first time he kissed her in the Come and Go room. She found herself wandering around more and more now, trying to find it, wondering if it would make her feel better or worse.

She knew other girls would cry and pitch a fit or whatever it was that girls were supposed to do when the only guy they'd ever fallen in love with ended it all with a slammed door and then they'd lost not only a boyfriend but a best mate too. But she couldn't bring herself to so instead she threw herself into her school work once more. Exams were weeks away and studying kept most of her mind occupied which was ideal to drive those memories away.

Tonight, however, there was nothing to distract her. She'd finished all her homework and found Lily and James's lovey-ness too much to be around at the moment, thank-you-very-much, and had subsequently found herself roaming the empty halls, half-hoping for a detention.

Of course they were empty and she spent her time kicking around an empty pumpkin juice bottle she'd found, creating quite a din.

"Are you bloody well trying to get caught?" someone asked behind her. She turned. It was Remus. He was half smiling and held up a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Thought you might want a pick-me-up," he said. Vienna broke into a grin.

"I thought you were the good one! Where the hell'd you get that?"

"Stole it from Sirius," Remus said, grinning sheepishly. Vienna burst out laughing, the first real laugh she'd had in weeks.

"I love you Remus," still laughing. They ducked into an empty classroom and Remus opened the bottle and took a swig before passing it to her. She took a sip before looking at the bottle.

"To Ogden," she said, raising the bottle. "Let's drink until we're stupid."

"You're not that far off," Remus snickered. Vienna playfully punched him on the arm.

"Oi!"

"Just joking!"

Vienna laughed along with him before taking another swallow and placing it on the desk between them.

A little while later and half the bottle of Firewhiskey, Vienna was pacing back and forth while Remus watched, still holding the bottle.

"I mean, who does he think he is for just breaking up because of one stupid fight. Over something stupid. It was just a stupid fight!"

You really have drunk yourself stupid," Remus commented, grinning as she turned once more. She didn't seem to hear him.

"I just think it's really stupid, that's all. And all because of Snape, the sniveling bastard. Why can't he just lay clean off for a while, eh?"

"Probably because he's a blithering dumb-button hoop-headed wildebeest," Remus said, staring up at a spot on the ceiling.

"He's a what?"

"Dunno. It sounded good in my head."

Vienna snorted. "This was an excellent idea. I don't know why I didn't think of it."

"Maybe because you're a blithering-"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Shhhhh," she said and giggled. Remus pulled her hand off his face and grinned.

You're handling this way better than last time," Remus said, laughing too.

"Hell yes!- Wait, what?" she asked looking confused.

"Nothing," Remus said his eyes widening.

"Last time what?" she asked again.

"It doesn't matter, it's just stupid."

"Tell me the truth, Remus. Please?"

_Sorry for the delay! School's back on which means I will most likely be updating on the weekends now because I simply don't have enough time during the week with schoolwork and XCountry and clubs and whatnot. Sorry about that._

_So what'd you think? Will he finally tell her? Will it make a difference? Will Sirius and Vienna get back together?_

_Please review! They make me super happy!_


	45. The Ring

45. The Ring

"Fuck me," Vienna groaned.

"Well that's a bit forward," someone chuckled. She pulled her arm from her eyes and stared at the newcomer, her eyes taking longer than usual to adjust. It was Sirius.

"FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK," she groaned again, throwing her arm over her eyes. Her head was pounding. She couldn't even remember the night before.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," he said in the same annoyingly cheerful voice. She kicked him. "Ow," he said, rubbing his hip. "What was that for?"

Vienna muttered something rude that only half seemed to make sense. He rolled his eyes and pulled her arm away from her eyes. She swore at him.

He ignored her. "Sit up and drink this," he said, passing her a cup. She took a sip and immediately spat it back out.

"What the hell is this?! It tastes like piss! Did you just give me a cup of piss?!"

"Yeah that's why it's blue," he said sarcastically. "It's for the hangover. I figured you needed it considering you passed out on the couch at three in the morning stinking of Firewhiskey."

"Fuck you," she said, moving to put the glass on the ground. He grabbed her hand to stop her but immediately let go, looking away awkwardly.

"Just drink it," he said, shaking his head.

She looked at him a second longer before taking a gulp and pulling a face. "How'd you know I got back at three?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I was working on the Arithmancy essay when you stumbled in."

She put her head in her hands once again, the pounding in her head getting worse. "You have to drink the whole thing," Sirius said in an annoyingly chipper voice.

"You have to drink the whole thing," she mocked, making another face, but she down the rest and made an even uglier face at him.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gotten pissed last night," Sirius said, moving closer on the couch. "That's not really like you."

Vienna let the statement hang in the air before answering, incensed by his sudden kindness and her pounding head. Who was he to be so damn nice, especially after ignoring her for so long?

"Yeah, well, … Who asked you?" she shot back lamely. Sirius hid a smile and began whistling under his breath. Vienna shot him a glare, which he ignored.

"You're an asshole," she shot, eyes narrowing.

"Look Vienna, about the whole break up. It's not what-"

"I wasn't talking about that you pillock. I was talking about your unholy whistling. But yeah, you can be an ass for that too."

"Vienna-"

"Look, I'm pretty sure I deserve a better explanation. You knew I wanted to be an Auror when you asked me out and you _knew_ I have- well, anger issues I suppose. So what was it?"

"Vienna-"

"OH, THANK GOD! VIENNA!" Lily screamed, leaping down the last four or five steps. Vienna stared at her, open mouthed, as Lily sprinted toward her, a huge smile plastered on her face and thrust her left hand under Vienna's nose.

It took her a minute to realize what was going on and by the time she'd realized what the diamond on Lily's finger meant Sirius was already congratulating her.

"James proposed last night! And I've said yes! We're going to get married!" Lily said excitedly, her voice raising in pitch with every word.

"That's fantastic Lily!" she said with a smile, but Lily was already spinning away and up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, presumably to wake James and Remus and Peter and whoever else had the sense to be asleep at the moment.

In her wake, Vienna felt such a strong sense of loss she wondered why she'd never felt it before. Maybe she'd not wanted to admit it to herself, but now after seeing Lily and how happy she was, about to start a life with James, a nice _normal_ life, she wondered if she'd made a mistake. If maybe Sirius had been right, if all she was doing was blindly throwing herself into battle without any regard for those around her. Or indeed herself.

When was the last time she looked at what she truly wanted? Something that wasn't just revenge and justice, something that just made her happy.

"She's excited, isn't she?" Sirius said with a strange sort of smile. Vienna got up without a word and crossed to the girl's dormitory.

She knew what she wanted, but she couldn't have it. Her selfish stupidity had insured that.


	46. Before I Forget

46. Before I Forget

Vienna trudged over towards the lake, her head pounding. She hadn't slept in three days what with her exams and wedding planning and applications.

She reached the lake and practically fell down, her head still swimming with potion recipes and properties of different plants. All she wanted to do was fall asleep. Instead she pulled out her Herbology book and began looking up various plants she wasn't sure of.

"VI!"

Vienna jumped a foot in the air, reaching blindly for her wand.

"It's just me silly," Lily said, plopping down next to her. "Look, the florist sent a book. Want to help me pick out the flowers?"

Vienna stared at her blankly for a moment, her wand raised. Then she slowly sank to the ground, her arm dropping limply to the ground.

"Sure," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"Are you ok? You look-"

"I'm fine Lils, just stressed is all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm-"

"Hey good looking," James said, interrupting her and swooping in to kiss Lily. Vienna looked away as the three other familiar scuffed shoes joined them. She opened her Herbology book once more and buried her face in it, trying to force herself to read the words on the page, but they just looked like mush.

"Vienna!"

She looked up at her name. Remus was staring at her worriedly.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded, turning back to her book. The squiggles had reassembled themselves. Aconite. She knew what that meant. She flipped to the next page and began deciphering its squiggles. She blinked as if under water.

"VIENNA!"

She looked up. Lily and James were gone. So was Remus and Peter. She blinked again and he came into focus.

Sirius.

"Go away, I'm studying," she said acidly, the words feeling foreign in her mouth.

"Vienna?"

"What?"

"Its night out. You've been out here for five hours."

"No I haven't, I'm only on page 459."

"Vienna, you fell asleep."

"No I didn't. I can't have. I don't have time."

She looked around for the first time. He was right. It was black as pitch outside, the lit windows of the castle casting little patches of flickering light.

She stared up at him, his face like night and day, shadows and light. Then she turned and slammed the book shut before jumping to her feet.

"Vienna-"

She ignored him and began making her way to the castle. Her head was more jumbled than ever. Why had Sirius stayed? Why had no one bothered to wake her up? Why was she worrying about this when she still had 300 pages to read before tomorrow?

"Vienna!"

She quickened her pace, trying to remember how to properly care for a Venomous Tentacula. She could hear him following behind but kept walking, forcing herself with every fiber of her being to concentrate on the Tentacula, as opposed to how fast her heart was beating.

"VI!" he called and caught her hand. She turned around, trying to remember all of the things she had to say to him, all of the words that had come spilling out with Remus.

But he pulled her towards him, arms locking around her waist and his mouth was on hers, and all she could smell and taste and see was him, just Sirius, like it used to be and for one fleeting second she was back where she belonged.

But she stepped back and his arms fell from her waist. She stared at him a moment, openmouthed, before darting up the steps and through the oak front doors, her mind reeling worse than before.

_Hey guys. Sorry I've been being a butt and not posting. So I finally have some time to write and I think you guys might like where it's going… Or not. Trick or Treat?_


	47. Surprise Surprise

47. Surprise, Surprise

Vienna was pretending to sleep. It suited her better than staring across the compartment for the next three hours at Sirius, or giving her opinion on flower arrangements or dresses. She knew that made her a terrible friend, but there was only so much lace she could take.

Luckily for her, James and Lily had snuck out a half hour ago to go make out or do Head duties or some other nonsense. Unluckily, Sirius had remained and decided to stare her down.

She could feel his eyes on her, like hot pokers, boring into her. She kept her eyes firmly shut.

The kiss had made it all so much worse. Every time she looked at him now it was pain, solid, indescribable pain so acute she thought she might die of it. It was like giving a dying man a feast and then taking it away after he'd had a slice of bread.

It wasn't fair for him to kiss her, not after he'd broken her heart, after he'd taken the little happiness she'd managed to carve out for herself.

But she could still feel his arms around her, still smell him, still feel the way he almost made her knees give way every time she spoke.

And she hated him for that.

Well, that wasn't true. She knew she didn't hate him. She hated herself, and her stupid heart that wouldn't listen to a word her brain was telling it, no matter how hard it screamed.

She must've fallen asleep at some point because she awoke with a start as the train whistle blew. There was a jacket tucked around her like a blanket. It was Sirius's leather one she'd gotten him.

She stood up and handed it to him rather awkwardly. "Thanks."

"Vienna," he said as they pulled their trunks from the rack and made for the exit, "We really need to talk."

She stared at him, her eyes wide. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

"Vi, don't look at me like that, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I just want to work this out, maybe we could-"

But he faltered then and she turned round, following the line of his suddenly wide eyes. The station was swarming with cloaked and masked people firing spells a the departing children. She saw a bitty first year being charged down by a Death Eater and leapt from the train.

"Vienna!" she heard Sirius scream as she scoop the little girl up and practically threw her back onto the train. She whipped round just as the Death Eater reached her, her high cold laugh filling her ears.

Bellatrix.

"Oh, looky here, we've got ickle Sirius's little girlfriend, what a treat. Wonder how he'll like you without a face," she laughed, hitting Vi with a curse before she could breath.

Vienna fell to the ground, writhing in agony. She'd never felt this much pain in her life. It was like she was being pulled apart from the inside, her innards dipped in acid. She kicked out and knocked Bellatrix to the ground. The pain left her and she leapt on top of her, trying to wrestle her wand away.

All around people were screaming and running from the advancing Death Eaters. Vienna felt Bellatrix bowl her over, her long nails raking her face.

Then, suddenly there was a great burst of light and a flood of Aurors rushed through the barrier, firing spells as they went. Bellatrix snarled before retreating, blasting spells at the encroaching Aurors.

The Death Eaters were cornered, the Aurors closing in, calling for surrender- and then they weren't anywhere. They'd simply vanished into thin air. People began getting dazedly off the train, staring at the spot were only a minute ago stood twenty cornered Death Eaters.

"But how did they do that? How did they get on the platform?"

"How'd they dissapear's more like it."

"Whatta they waitin for? Why don't they try an catch em?"

Voices filled the station, buzzing like flies through Vienna's head. She felt herself being pulled to her feet and tried to stand but her legs wouldn't hold her. She only saw a pair of anxious grey eyes before all went black.

_Hey guys! Sorry for the wait! It's been crazy with school and the like. Hopefully I'll be writing a lot more often now if class keeps winding down. I'll try to post another chapter or two tonight. I promise it's going to start getting very interesting. Love you all, thanks for hanging in there_


	48. Don't Bring Me Down

48. Don't Let Me Down

Vienna barely remembered her two and a half week stay at St. Mungo's. When she finally woke from her potion induced haze she went straight into rehabilitation.

Whatever Bellatrix had hit her with had done something seriously wrong to her legs. They were shaky as a newborn fawn's and shot lightning strikes of pain through her.

Remus visited her nearly everyday, cheering her on as she tried to make her was down the hallway or stealing her jell-o while they talked endlessly in her ward.

"Come on Vi, you can do it! Just a bit further!" he would call from the other end of the hall as she struggled to reach him, muttering curses under her breath. Lily visited often as well, often with James in tow and sometimes Peter as well.

There was one person who was conspicuously absent. Sirius hadn't shown the entire time she'd been in the hospital. She supposed she couldn't blame him. The last time he'd made an advance she'd quite literally pushed him away, but it still tore at her heartstrings. She didn't understand why she couldn't just turn it off, why love wasn't just like a faucet that you could turn off whenever you liked.

She was finally released on the day of Lily and James's wedding. Remus picked her up from the hospital, his light brown hair neatly parted and eyes bright with excitement. He wore a Muggle suit, complete with bowtie.

"Well, you certainly looking dapper," Vienna said, smiling.

"Do I look sufficiently Muggle?" he asked, giving her a wide grin and spinning on the spot.

"Like a very handsome one," she said, punching him lightly on the arm. Remus laughed as he helped her to the street. "So what's with the gettup?"

"I'm on pickup duty. After I drop you off, I'm off to the Evans's to pick up Lily's parents, so I've got to be incognito."

But how are you going to pick them up when you don't have a-"

But she broke off as the stopped at a luxurious emerald green car with leather seats and a fancy tape deck in the centre council. "Wow, where'd you get that?" she asked, impressed as he unlocked the door and pulled it open for her. She leaned heavily on the door as she got in. Her legs still didn't seem to want to support her.

"Oh, James rented it from somewhere I think. It's a good one, isn't it?"

"Definitely," she said, looking around the interior. "I don't think I've ever been in this nice a car." Then a sudden thought struck her. "You do know how to drive, don't you?"

Remus laughed as he pulled away from the curb. "Of course I know how to drive," he scoffed.

"But- but your parents are both wizards-"

"Yeah and so are Sirius's, but he knows how too. He was going to go today but-" he trailed off suddenly, his eyes darting to her face. She turned towards the window, her heart sinking.

They drove in silence for most of the way to the Potter's estate, where the ceremony was being held. Remus turned on the tape deck and began singing along to one of the songs. Vienna laughed and joined in and both of them sang for the rest of the ride home, loud and purposely off key.

"My God, I thought you were murdering someone in there," Peter said as they pulled up. He was dressed in his emerald green dress robes, the colour of the wedding party.

"Don't bring me doooooooowwwwwwwn… BRUCE!" Remus sang loudly as he drove away.

"My name's Peter, thank you very much," Peter shouted back. Remus shot him a very rude hand gesture as Vienna collapsed in giggles.

"What's so funny?" James said as he rounded the corner.

"Don't bring me doooowwwwwn… BRUCE!" Vienna shouted, still laughing. James looked puzzled.

"Merlin's pants James, are you killing a cat or something?" Sirius's voice floated in.

"That's what I thought!" Peter said, grinning. "She sounds she's being murdered when she's trying to sing!"

Vienna continued to sing as she headed up the path for the door, as loudly and horribly and humanly possible. She stumbled as she reached the steps and fell to the ground, her legs folding under her. "Really, really, Bruce?" she said to herself as she tried to struggle up, her legs tingling.

"Vi, are you all right?" Sirius asked, rushing to help her up.

"Yep," she said. "I'm fine," though her leg shook worse than ever when he touched her and it had nothing to do with spell damage.

"She's clearly not alright if you ask me," James said, following them inside, Peter in tow. "She should have her throat checked to see if there's a dying cat stuck in it."

"James Potter! That was rude!" said Mrs. Potter, appearing in the entrance way, a pot clutched in her hand. "You boys go outside and help your father set up the tents for the ceremony and let the girls get ready in peace."

James looked like he wanted to argue, but left anyway, sticking his tongue out at Vi before disappearing out the door. Peter followed with a weird sort of head bob in Mrs. Potter's direction.

"I was just going to help Vi upstairs, her legs still aren't steady," Sirius said, one arm still protectively laced around her waist.

"I'll help her dear, you go outside," she said fondly, leading Vienna up the stairs.

"Thank you," Vienna said quietly as James's mother helped her up the sweeping staircase.

"No problem dear," she said warmly. "That boy is absolutely head over heels for you."  
"What?" she said, surprised.

"Oh, didn't you know? He's barely talked of anything else since he's arrived. Very worried about you while you were in St. Mungo's. Always asking James for news after he came home."

"But- why are you telling me this?"

"Because boys can be very stupid, especially when they're young. Now I know Sirius, and he's no angel, but his heart is in the right place. But sometimes you've got to give someone a second chance. Sometimes losing someone makes you know how much you really love them."

And with that she turned on her heel and walked back to the kitchen, leaving a very shaking Vienna and the undeniable smell of peppermint.

_Hey guys! Another night, another chapter, how about that? Well, writing it in chemistry probably helped but who's counting? Hope you guys liked it! Please leave your comments and reviews, they are greatly appreciated!_

_Lots of Love!_


	49. Churchbells

49 Churchbells

To everyone's surprise the ceremony passed flawlessly. Vienna's legs held through the entire service and she never had to use the chair artfully placed behind her.

Lily looked beautiful in a long white wedding gown, and James, very dapper indeed in black dress robes. The little wizard who had been hired to conduct the ceremony moved flawlessly through his speech and when it came time for Lily and James to read their vows, which they'd written themselves, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

By the time though, that it came for their first dance, Vienna could no longer stand. She watched from a barstool as James twirled Lily around the floor, hardly stepping on her feet at all.

"I thought it would be us, you know," came a voice from beside her. She didn't look up as Sirius sat down, but kept her eyes glued on the dance floor.

"I did too," she replied quietly, that deep ach inside her reawakening. But she pushed it down. She couldn't keep shutting down every time he was near. Maybe Mrs. Potter was right. Maybe if she was only honest, everything would work out.

"I'm really sorry you know," he said awkwardly, watching her intently. "I was stupid for breaking it off and selfish-"

"I'm sorry too," she said. "And it was all so pointless anyway. I should have given up on all the Auror stuff, it was stupid-"

"It wasn't! I was just being a prat. I know you'll be an excellent Auror."

"I won't," she said quietly.

"What are you talking about? Of course you will!"

"No, I won't. They contacted me a week ago. I didn't make the cut."

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't you? You got top marks in all your exams-"

"They can't take me on when I have spell damage. They said they'd be happy to once I made a full recovery but the healers said that I'll probably always have symptoms or random attacks or the like." She looked down at the wood of the bar and bit her lip.

"But- haven't you told Lily or anyone?"

"No, she's just been too happy what with the wedding and everything."

"What about Remus?"

"He'd worry about me too much. He does anyway."

"Why tell me then?"

Vienna was silent, staring out at the dance floor to where people were now flitting around to a jaunty two step. She could see Remus chatting up a blonde girl who was laughing and eyeing him appreciatively.

"Vienna, you'll be an Auror. I know it. And I'll help, whatever it takes."

She stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I was an imbecile for breaking it off. I can't bear the thought of losing you to some scumbag because you're at the front lines but I can't stand hurting you myself. And I know there's no reason you should ever take me back-"

She didn't think, she just kissed him full on the mouth, fully forgetting they were at a crowded wedding. She heard someone cheer and hastily broke away, her cheeks heating up.

"Well don't stop on my account," James said, grinning broadly, Lily hot on his heels.

"Oh shove off," Sirius said, but grinned back rather sheepishly.

"The photographer wants to get some shots of everyone dancing!" Lily said. She was glowing, absolutely radiant with happiness.

Sirius pulled her to her feet. "May I have this dance?" She laughed and followed him onto the dance floor.

Sirius, as always, was an excellent dancer and whirled her around the dance floor with surprising grace. Lily laughed as Sirius and James twirled her and Vi together. Sirius and James waltzed down the dance floor to gales of laughter. Vienna laughed and spun Lily around, the pair laughing merrily.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. "Mind if I dance with my wife?" He said the last word in such glowing terms, no one could doubt his absolute devotion to her.

She stepped away, still smiling. She felt hands wind their way around her waist and turned to see Sirius behind her, moving in time to the music.

She turned and smiled, but at that moment a spasm raked her legs and she fell, Sirius catching her just before she hit the ground. Sirius helped her to the table, looking worried.

"Hey!" Remus said, carrying two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Vienna before staring bemusedly at Sirius. "Sorry, mate, didn't think you'd be over here," he said.

"No probem. I've got to go and err… touch up my best man speech anyhow," Sirius said apologetically.

"You haven't written your speech yet?" Vienna laughed.

"I just need to touch it up."

"Sure."

Remus sat down, facing Vienna. "How are your legs?"

"Been better. I'm surprised they held out for this long."

"So are you really going out with him again?" Remus burst out, making it clear what he'd really wanted to ask.

"I-I suppose," she said started.

Remus didn't say anything, merely pursed his lips.

The rest of the day went splendidly. Vienna spent muh of the night taking photographs. She took a very nice one of her and Sirius and another not so nice one of her and Remus. (Remus had made a very ugly face at her the second before the flash went off, causing her to cackle with laughter. It was actually one of her favorite photos of the night.) She'd also taken yet another of Lily and James during Sirius's speech (which was incredibly good, considered it was written on a cocktail napkin) and of the two laughing as night fell and the stars popped out of the velvety blackness.

"Stop hiding behind that camera!" Sirius said, tugging it away from her. He snapped her picture and laughed.

"Hey!" she said, reaching for it, but he held the camera high out of her reach.

"So I was wondering if you might want to take a walk through the garden with me," he asked, his eyes twinkling, though his voice was hesitant.

_Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed! Please please please review!_


	50. Amour

50 Amour

Sirius and Vienna meandered down the path, leaving the noise of the party behind. They came to the little maze of hedges that led up to the house and made their way through, laughing and joking as if the last month and a half had never happened. Vienna found it remarkable how easy it was, like getting back on a broomstick.

This must mean it's meant to be, she thought, her heart soaring higher than it had since he'd broke it off- since she'd started to try and find out what she'd forgotten and everything had gone sour.

She suddenly realized just how close they were. She blushed, ducking her head, her hair falling like a curtain in front of her face.

Sirius swept her dark hair out of her face, gently lifting her chin until she was staring into his grey eyes.

"Vienna, I love you. It's always been you and always will, no matter how long I live."

Vienna stared at him, dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say. He'd never said anything like that to her- no one had.

Sirius laughed, holding her hands in his. "You look so shocked right now."

"I- I don't know what to say. Nothing will even remotely good after that."

Sirius laughed again and kissed her- kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. There was no time or space or anything beyond him and his arms wrapped around her.

They kissed all the way up the stairs and into the neat little guest room that had the unmistakable feeling of being lived in.

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, eyes wide as he fully grasped her intent.

"I'm serious," she said, and grinned.

_Woooohoooo! Two chapters in one night! Please review! They make me happy and me feel like you actually really like it, which is the best feeling ever! Love you guys._

_Allons-y_


	51. Memories

51

Vienna awoke early the next morning, the bliss of the night before still intact. She was filled with such a general rightness- like sleeping with Sirius had only solidified what she already knew: that they were meant to be.

She sat up, Sirius still sleeping soundly beside her. She could hear Mrs. Potter in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She sat bolt upright. She'd forgotten about the other people staying in the house. However right her newfound situation with Sirius seemed to her, she knew there would definitely be some disapproving stars at the breakfast table.

She got up and crossed to Sirius's trunk at the foot of the bed. She rifled through it, pulling out a pair of jeans and the smallest jumper she could find, both of which were enormous on her and pulled them on, hoping to sneak back to her room before anyone noticed where she'd really spent the night.

She was throwing the clothes she had placed on the bed back into the trunk when she noticed a bundle of letters. Glancing at the bed, she grabbed them. Maybe she would finally figure out what on earth he and James wrote to each other.

_Dear Sirius,_ she imagined, a smile playing across her lips, _I just wanted to let you know how fantastic I am. Oh, and not to mention my beautiful hair._

_Dear James,_

_Clearly you're convoluted because I am the better looking one. Four eyes._

_Dear Sirius,_

_At least I'm not a wanker like you._

_Love James_

She smiled and flipped over the stack of envelopes to read the address and stopped, her smile fading.

_Miss Vienna Alden_

_47 Porchester Road_

_Bayswater, London_

She slipped the string off the bundle and flipped to the next letter. It was the same as before. So was the next. And the next.

She opened one, stomach filled with unease. Why did Sirius have all of these letters addressed to her in his trunk. Especially some that clearly bore the marks of delivery. She pulled out a piece of parchment covered in his familiar scrawl.

_Vi-_

_Please answer me. I never meant for it to happen. Rachel means nothing to me, it was just a mistake. Please let me explain._

Vienna stared at the letter for a moment before throwing it aside. It made no sense. She opened a second.

_Vienna,_

_What you saw in that broom closet, it wasn't what you thought. I mean, it was, you're not stupid, but it didn't mean anything._

She stared at the letter. She opened another and another until shed read them all, tears silently sliding down her face. It was as if a switch had been turned on in her brain and a flood of images was pouring over her. Sirius and some half naked girl in a broom closet, packing up her trunk and leaving, tears flowing down her cheeks, London nights with Euan, being hit, fighting on the train with Sirius…

She threw the letters onto the bed, scrawling a single word at the bottom of the last before glancing once more towards the bed before disappearing into the hall.

_Hey everyone! Thanks for reading__ PLEASE review! That'd be awesome._


	52. For Those Below

52

"What do you mean 'She's gone?" Remus asked, staring at him incredulously over the table. Sirius tossed him a crumpled piece of parchment. Remus read it quickly, pausing as if transfixed on the final word, written in a different hand than the rest.

_Goodbye._

Remus crumpled up the letter and got to his feet. He strode to the door, the letter still clutched in his fist. Then he turned, his face contorted with rage.

"Why did you have this?" he said through his teeth, clearly trying to control his voice.

"I found them at her apartment. I- I didn't want her to find them, I-" he faltered, a horrible feeling settling in her stomach. "I didn't want to hurt her again."

"Well, I guess you _don't_ always get what you want, do you?" Remus spat before turning on his heel and disapperating.

"Vienna, open up!" Remus called through the door, pounding on it. "VIENNA!"

The door swung open. The girl on the other end was almost unrecognizable. Her dark hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, her eyes ringed with red and tears. A long gash rang across one arm, bleeding profusely.

"YOU!" she shouted, her hands balled into fists. "YOU KNEW AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME. YOU ALMOST DID PLENTLY OF TIMES! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!"

"I know I should have. God, I know I should have," Remus said, his face contorted as he stared at her. "But Vienna, you're arm-"

"FUCK MY ARM!" she roared, the color rising in her cheeks. "I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS REMUS. BEST FRIENDS!"

"Vienna, I couldn't-" Remus said in a choked voice. "I tried so hard, but I couldn't see you that way again. I- I could never do that to you." A single tear dripped down his face.

"YOU LIED TO ME! YOU ALL LIED TO ME!"

"I know Vi! I'm so sorry-"

"I slept with him. After he cheated on me and lied about it for a _year_. I wasted a _year_ of my life on someone who got up and lied to me every single day. _And I slept with him! After he took every shred of dignity- every shred of innocence I had left!"_

"Vienna, just let me help you!" Remus said, reaching towards her bloodied arm.

"Get away from me Remus!" she said, wrenching her arm away as her legs gave out and she fell to the floor, sobbing. Remus took this opportunity to pick her up as if she were a small child and lay her on the couch before closing the door behind them.

The flat was dark, lit only by the sunlight seeping through the closed curtains. He threw them open, illuminating the scene before him.

He could see what she'd cut herself on and was relieved to see it hadn't been deliberate as he'd feared as soon as he'd read that single word. It looked as though she'd fallen and put her hand through a glass coffee table next to the couch. The floor was covered in blood and glass shards. He cleared them away with his wand before conjuring a towel from midair. He carefully mopped up the blood from her arm before healing it with a simple charm. Vienna didn't say anything, she just sat and cried, letting her arm hang limply at her side.

"It's ok Vienna," Remus said soothingly, stroking her hair. "It's going to be ok."

"No it won't Remus. It will never be ok."

_Will Vienna confront Sirius? What will happen next?_

_So here's another chapter for you guys. I promised the plot would thicken, didn't I? Please review, it means a lot and definitely helps me write when I know what you guys are thinking. _


	53. Where Are You Now

53

_Two Weeks Later_

"You should have wrote-"

"I didn't want to spoil your honeymoon-"

"Lily's been going out of her mind-"

"I know, I just-"

"Why didn't you come here before? Why didn't you talk to her right after?" James asked, running a hand through his untidy hair. There were dark shadows under his eyes.

"I just couldn't I couldn't bear it alone. Remus won't even talk to me. I haven't seen him since that morning."

"He's working for Dumbledore, didn't you hear? He's doing something important, something to do with the war. Dumbledore asked Lily and I to help out too."

"Yeah, I heard about that. He sent me a letter."

They walked in silence to the front of Vienna's apartment building and climbed the stairs to her second story flat.

"47, wasn't it?"

They stopped staring at the door. Dried blood lay on the floor, grisly and dark as a promise. Without hesitation James unlocked the door by magic and threw it open, wand raised high.

The flat was destroyed, papers lying everywhere, broken furniture strewn across the floor. A large blood stain coloured the couch. Drawers were ransacked through, the bed overturned.

They quickly searched the flat for any sign of her, but she was gone.

"Where is she?" James said, staring around at the mess before him. He looked genuinely frightened. Sirius didn't answer.

James turned to see Sirius sitting next to the blood stain, his face buried in his hands. Then all at once he got up and pulled the cushion from the couch and threw it at the wall, howling.

"It's all my fault! She's dead James! She's dead and it's my fault!"

"You don't know that," James said consolingly, but it sounded hollow and weak even in his own ears.

…

Lily hadn't been able to stop crying. All James could do was hold her, lost as he was in his own grief.

"Maybe if we hadn't lied, if we hadn't let Sirius choose, then she never would have went back," Lily sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder.

James had called the ministry after seeing the apartment. He'd watched as the Magical Law Enforcement Squad had hurried in, followed by a team of Aurors. None of them could agree on what happened. They only agreed it wasn't good.

The predominant theory, however, was that she'd been dragged off by a group of Death Eaters, whether for information or revenge, no one knew. But no one could deny that she'd made enemies, that was for certain.

No one could reach Remus. No one knew where he was, only that he was on a very important mission from Dumbledore.

No one really fancied telling him she'd died.

_Hi Again! So do you think Vienna really is dead? Where is Remus? Is this the end of the road?_

_Please review and leave your thought, I love to hear them!_


	54. My How The Time Has Flown

54 My How The Time Has Flown

Sirius set out for the first time in days. He'd barely glanced in the mirror, not bothering to change out of his rumpled robes or comb his hair.

It had been six months since he'd seen her, since he'd talked to her, since she'd left with only a note in her stead.

_Goodbye._

That had been all she'd written, one word in shaky handwriting, one word on top of the stacks of letters he'd written to her, letters he'd taken after she had forgotten, letters she'd found in his trunk and opened for the very first time.

He pushed the thought from his mind and stalked down to Diagon Alley, which was a short walk from his flat. And it was a good thing too or he wouldn't bother.

He ignored Tom the barman's greeting as he strode through the Leaky Cauldron to the back of the pub, tapping the brick with perhaps a bit too much force. His wand spit a cloud of angry red sparks.

He passed by Flourish and Blotts with barely a second glance, but that was all it took.

He could still recognize her, even the back of her from this distance.

She was stepping out from the little shop, her nose buried in a book, much like it had been for the entirety of seventh year. She was pale, as if what little color of her alabaster skin had been leeched out. Even from here he could see the dark shadows under her eyes.

The wind spun her long violet cloak and whipped her hair around her face. It was darker now he thought, much closer to black than the chestnut he'd grown accustomed to.

It was as if he'd seen a ghost.

He quickened his pace, even though he knew he should just turn and walk the other way, that there was no reason she would want to see him, much less talk to him. If it even was her.

Which it wasn't. it couldn't be. She was dead. He knew that, he'd seen her apartment, seen the blood and the turned over furniture.

Still he cleared his throat as he came up behind her, the girl who looked so like Vienna, like a living shadow of the girl he had loved, but the words stuck in his throat. He raised a tentative hand and tapped her shoulder.

She whirled around, dropping the book she held and reaching, he was sure, for her wand.

It was Vienna. Vienna Alden who he loved, who he'd betrayed, who was dead. And yet here she stood in front of him, staring with shock filled blue eyes, her lips in a perfect O.

Her hand fell as she recognized him and moved to tug her cloak around herself, but his eyes had already found what she didn't want him to see.

She was pregnant.

She just stared at him like he was a ghost. Like he was the one who'd been missing with nothing but a pool of blood left in his wake. He reached down to pick up her book, eager to hide the anger welling up inside of him. He brushed the dirt from the cover, tracing the title with his eyes.

_The Smart Sorceress's Guide to Single Motherhood._

He handed it to her and she took it numbly, still staring at him in shock.

"Who's the father?" he blurted, only half wanting to hear the name of the man who'd gotten her pregnant. Who'd obviously left her, alone and helpless to raise a child at eighteen.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

He turned. He didn't want to hear _his_ name on her lips, someone who wouldn't even stay for her, someone who didn't realize what he'd thrown away, someone who didn't know how much she was worth.

Because he certainly did.

He wouldn't have left her, would have stood by her, been _happy_ to.

She called his name but he didn't turn. He wouldn't turn, not for that, not for her to rip out the last tiny shards of his heart.

He walked faster, his hands balling up into fists.

"SIRIUS!" she screamed, and caught him by the sleeve. He turned abruptly and she took a step backwards. He was surprised to see her face streaming with tears.

"What do you want?" he said harshly, and she recoiled. He hated himself for the pain he was causing her but couldn't help it.

"Sirius, just, just wait. Please?" she said almost inaudibly. Her voice cracked as she spoke, a fresh wave of tears spilling over her cheeks.

It was almost surreal to see her like this, a girl whom he was so used to handling her emotions with fighting or sarcasm. It was like she was broken.

He stared resentfully at her, waiting for her to say the words that would shatter his heart.

"_I-_"

"Oh, who was it already? Just tell me what asshole did it so I can go and get on with it in peace!" he practically shouted. He wanted to shake her, to make her see the enormity of her mistake, to see that even he, whom she must hate, would've been better.

She burst into hysterical sobs. He felt the hot guilt fill him. All he wanted to do was hold her, but that would only make it worse.

"I'm so sorry Vi," he said, his voice breaking. "For everything."

He turned away, his feet like lead.

"Sirius," she called once more in barely a whisper. He didn't, wouldn't turn, this time, would just keep walking. "It's yours." the last was just a breath, but his ears picked it up as if they'd been waiting to hear it. Maybe they had. He turned just in time to see her tear streaked face once more before she turned on her heel and dissaperated.

_Hey everyone! So here's another chapter. Dun Dun DUUUUUH. So you guys definitely should leave you thoughts and comments. What do you think will happen next? What will happen to the baby? What do you think its name might be? Please review! _


	55. The Whole Story

55 The Whole Story

She landed in the garden of the Potter's next door neighbor. She half expected Old Bathilda to come out and yell at her for squashing her roses but the door stayed shut.

She staggered into their yard and up to the front door, which Lily no doubt, had painted a bright, cheery green. The tears were still pouring down her face.

She knocked tentatively and almost immediately regretted it. What was she doing, darkening their doorstep? She turned to go as the door swung open.

"Vienna?" Lily's voice rang out in shock. Vienna turned and found Lily's arms wrapped around her in a bone crushing hug and then quickly removed. Then a hand lashed out and slapped her across the face.

"Where have you been? I've rang, I've sent letters! Are you too good to call? You skipped out after you found out what had happened with Sirius and I understood. And then you disappear, poof! And no one's heard from you in months. We thought you were dead! We thought you'd been killed by Death Eaters!"

Vi turned to Lily, opening her mouth to speak but Lily gasped and cut her off. "Oh my god," she said covering her mouth as she saw Vienna's swollen stomach. "How long?"

"Six months," she said quietly staring at the ground.

"Is it… Sirius's?" she asked in a hushed voice? Vienna nodded, more tears leaking down her nose.

"Come inside," Lily said, putting an arm around her. Vienna followed her inside, falling into inconsolable sobs.

"Here, drink this, it'll help," Lily said, pushing a cup of slightly steaming tea in front of Vi. She nodded in thanks, still hiccupping. "What happened?" Lily asked, her concern mixed with curiosity.

Vienna took a deep breath. Something banged in the hallway and she looked up, startled.  
"Don't worry about it," Lily said. "It's just a laundry spell, sometimes it knocks over the basket."

Vienna stared back down into her tea. "I don't blame you for being angry. I, I knew you would, but I had no one else to go to."

"It's ok, you're safe, that's all that matters."

Vi shook her head as if she disagreed but didn't say anything about it. "I- I guess I have to start that night, after- after the wedding. I thought Sirius and I were going to get back together, that everything was fine again, better than fine. We slept together and I woke up, and I saw this little packet of letters poking out from his trunk. I didn't think anything of it- I figured they were from James and you and Remus and Peter- until I saw my name. Every single one, they were all addressed to me. So I opened them, every single goddamn one, and I read them."

"They were from the summer between sixth and seventh year, the one I couldn't remember because of that hex, and all of them were apologizing. Apologizing for snogging some girl named Rachel in a broom closet."

"I read every single one, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. _Things_ started rushing back. Like catching them in the broom closet, _seeing him take off her shirt_- and I couldn't handle it. I left- I didn't even have the courage to scream at him- for cheating, for lying and hiding it from me for over a year. I just left the letters and a note and left."

"After that I went into hiding, got a little cottage in Bath, got a job as a Muggle secretary. I just couldn't handle it, being around him all the time after what he did, after all the lies, everything you lot told me. I thought I would be fine. Then I found out I was pregnant."

"I thought I could do it on my own, hide out and raise my child and forget everything else, and it worked for a while until today when I saw him, and I told him it was his and now I don't know what to do, or why I told him! I should have just let him believe that it was some one night stand, but I could see it in his eyes, and it was _killing _him."

Her voice shook, but she carried on as if she couldn't stop. "I- I want to forgive him, I just want to go back to the way things were, but I don't know if I can- if we can, or its broken forever, and I can't put a child into that situation, I can't have them have a father one day and then have him walk out. I want my baby to have a stable childhood, something I never had. I want them to grow up and be happy and not have to _fight _all the time. I'm so tired of _fighting_, Lily. It's exhausting, and no matter how hard I fight, I'm still in the same place."

"And I'm _happy_ with him! That's the worst part. After all this time, after everything he did, I still love him. But I'll never be enough for him, I'll never be enough for anyone, so I've just got to stop trying, and just do what's right for my baby. That's all that matters now. That's what I keep telling myself, but I still can't believe it. I still want him, and I hate myself for it." She stopped, staring forlornly at her stomach as she gently ran a hand over it.

Lily just stared at her, lost for words. Then she got up, and wrapped her friend in a hug. They both burst into tears and neither one noticed Sirius step away from the door and out the front door.


	56. Because

56

When James got home later that day, he was surprised to find that Lily did not greet him at the door. He felt his stomach knot uncomfortably. "Lily!" he called.

"In the kitchen!" she called back.

James stopped dead in the doorway as he spotted the familiar dark-haired girl sitting at his small table. She looked like hell, her eyes red and puffy, her face pale and drawn.

He barely registered that though. Hot rage boiled up inside him, months' worth of it.

"What are you doing here?" he spat acidly.

"James!" Lily hissed reproachfully, but her ignored her.

"I said, what are you doing her Vi?" he tried to infuse as much venom in his voice as possible.

"I-" she stammered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here? You cut us out of your life! We thought you were _DEAD!_ No phone calls, no letters, you just decide to drop off the face of the planet! And you think you can just waltz back in and everything will be fine? Do you know what you've done to Lily- to Sirius? I can't believe you have the gall to show up here! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"James!" Lily cried. He ignored her once more, waiting for Vienna's mask of shock and hurt to break into that of rage.

He wanted it, wanted her to scream back at him, just so he could throw all of his pent up rage back at her.

But her face stayed the same and she merely strode to the door.

His eyes flew to her stomach and he opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry James," she said, her voice shaking. "I- I shouldn't have come. You're right. I just thought it'd be easier for everyone if I left. I guess I was wrong."

"You're damn right you were wrong! Do you know what Sirius has been going through? Do you have any idea what you've done to him?"

She looked down, tears streaming down her face.

"Who's is that anyway?" he said cruelly, motioning to her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. "What have you been doing, Shacking up with some degenerate?"

She didn't answer, just continued looking down, tears dripping from her nose. It was almost unnerving, especially after the blow out she'd had with Sirius back at Hogwarts, and that had been over something so small.

"James!" Lily said, grabbing his arm as if she could physically restrain him from speaking in that way. But it was enough to snap him from his delusional rage.

He looked at her for the first time, really looked at her. She was pallid, with dark circles smudged like bruises under her eyes. Her hair was long and dark and lank. She was skinny to the point of boniness despite her swollen stomach.

Suddenly she was eleven years old again on their first day at Hogwarts, her dark hair in two long braids. She'd been at least a head taller than everyone else, her eyes ringed with shadows. She'd heard Avery laughing about some recent Muggle killings and she'd punched him square in the face.

"Well it's true!" he'd spat, blood pouring from his now broken nose. They don't deserve to live! Their just useless animals! They're even more useless than animals, at least some are magical!"

She'd wound up for another go, but Sirius had grabbed her arm.

"He's not worth it," he'd said. She'd shook him off, glowering at him with those strange silvery blue eyes.

"They're not any different," she'd said furiously. "Muggleborns, Squibs, Muggles- They're still people!"

"I know that!" Sirius had said. He'd had to look up at her at the time. She'd merely shot him a contemptuous look and climbed into one of the tiny boats.

James distinctly remembered her mutter, "Yeah right _Black_. I'm _sure_ you're on the up and up with the whole tolerance thing."

James had found her later in a classroom, sitting on top of a desk with her chin on her knees.

She hadn't heard him come in. She was looking at something in the heavy gold locket she always wore.

She was crying.

He'd never actually seen what the picture was, but he'd always assumed it was of her parents. She'd shut it before he could get a closer look. She'd hastily wiped away her tears.

"What are you doing here?" she'd asked, rather hostilely.

"Dunno," he'd said truthfully. He'd just been wandering. "What's the matter?"

"What'd make you think- I – I'm fine!" she'd spluttered angrily.

"Is it because of your parents?" he'd asked somewhat un-tactfully. "I read about them in the papers."

"Shut it, Potter," she snarled, jumping nimbly from the desktop. She'd knocked his shoulder as she left and hadn't spoke to him until their first flying lesson, when she'd told him off for making fun of Ella Maccabee who had had a nervous stutter.

But then he'd seen her fly and they'd become friends, both practicing for Quidditch tryouts and then with Sirius, once he'd decided he was interested too.

Until today, that had been the only time he'd ever seen her cry.

Of course he knew she did, he'd heard Sirius telling him how upset she'd been after she'd gotten back from the hospital and kept having awful nightmares or how Remus had told him how she'd cried for a week after Nolan Whitman had dumped her for Persephone Garrison. But he'd never seen it.

Not even when she fell from her broom or got beat up by Regulus or cursed by Snape.

He turned to say something, anything to make her stay, but she was gone, the front door left wide open.

_Hey everyone! So a little bit of someone else's view, namely James, the most opinionated of the lot. Please review! They are really nice and I look forward to reading them and a lot of times they give me really cool ideas so please hit me up! It only takes a minute__ Thanks for reading, peace and love._


	57. Ultimatum

57 Ultimatum

Vienna got up slowly from her chair and the doorbell chimed again. It took her a lot longer to get around nowadays. Which she often found infuriating. She found most things infuriating these days. In fact she had a list posted on the fridge that she added to daily. She'd had to buy an extra strong magnet to hold it up. Next to it was a far shorter list of things that made her happy. It read tea with Remus and Muggle telly. She'd thought about adding that the baby had kicked the other day but thought better of it since it hadn't stopped and she had several dark bruises on her abdomen.

She hoped it was Remus at the door. She felt fat and miserable and he always made her feel better.

She opened the door, hope rising in her chest. She hadn't seen Remus for several weeks now. He'd been on assignment from Dumbledore trying to gain allies against Voldemort and hadn't been able to come in a while.

It wasn't Remus.

Sirius stood on her doorstep, drenched from the heavy rain.

Vienna slammed the door in his face. She wasn't in the mood and she'd used up all her touchy-feely share time with Lily the other day. And where had that gotten her?

She shouldn't have said anything, should have just let him go on thinking whatever he would have. Why should she care if he thought she was a slut?

And she most certainly should not have gone to the Potter's.

She couldn't believe after all these months of being alone she cracked after one sight of him, one lousy chance meeting.

She was better off alone. She was good at being alone. It was easy- No worrying about feelings or politics, just what was best for her and the baby.

So why had she crumbled like some silly little school girl all over again?

"Vienna please, just open the door!" Sirius called, ringing the bell again. Vienna sat down again and buried her face in her hands.

"Go away Sirius!" she called back.

"Just open the door Vi!"

"Just go away Sirius."

"Just open the door."

Vienna got up, grinding her teeth. She crossed to the door, throwing it wide before slamming it shut.

"Ow!" Sirius, who had shoved his foot in between the door and the gap the moment Vienna opened it howled, hopping about but still keeping his body between the door. "Merlin, sometimes I wish you weren't so predictable."

"Sometimes I wish you weren't such a giant wanker!"

"You've certainly flipped your tune since Saturday."

"Saturday was an off day."

"Vienna just listen-"

"No. Get out of my house. Just because I lowered my guard the other day does not mean I need you or I want you around. This doesn't change anything."

"Vienna, you don't have to do this alone-"

"Yes I do! I can't trust you half as far as I can throw you!"

"Vienna, it's my baby too!"

"Then where have you been for the past six months?"

"I thought you were dead!"

"Then go back to thinking I'm dead."

"Vienna, I'm not going to lose you again! Why do you think I lied about the whole Rachel thing? Why do you think I didn't tell you? I'd already lost you once, I couldn't lose you again. I couldn't live without you knowing that I'd hurt you so badly. It was a fresh start, a new chance to do everything right!"

"YOU LIED TO ME! YOU GOT MY FRIENDS TO LIE TO ME FOR A YEAR! MY WHOLE SEVENTH YEAR WAS A LIE, ALL BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS, BECAUSE I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! AND I'LL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU SO JUST GO!"

"THAT WAS A MISTAKE!" Sirius yelled back, color rising in his cheeks.

"HOW THE HELL IS THAT A MISTAKE? I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SMART!"

"Because we were getting serious and I freaked out. I'd never had a long term girlfriend before and it scared me. I didn't want to screw it up when it really mattered. I didn't realize how much you meant to me or what it would do to you. But I know now I can't live without you! I would stand by you no matter what!"

Vienna stared at him, her mouth open. Then she sat back down in the chair and covered her eyes with her hand. "You are the biggest idiot the world has ever seen. You ruined our relationship, my life. You took away my future, my career! I went to St. Mungo's in August to go and have my legs checked out and they were fine! Fully healed, like freaking magic! I was just about ready to sign on with the Aurors when he told me I was pregnant! And now what? I'm working as a freaking Muggle secretary at a primary school! All those OWLs and NEWTs and I'm working at a primary school! But you know what, I'm managing! And you can't just walk in and out like I'm a freaking revolving door! I'm done with that. I'm done with being Option B. So you either are in one hundred percent, or you get the hell out, because you're not doing this to a kid. I will not sit there and explain to my child that Daddy left because he couldn't commit or it was a mistake or whatever. So you can decide, but you're sticking to that decision for the next eighteen years, so it better be a good one."

And with that she stormed up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

_Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review, they're completely awesome and I greatly appreciate them! Love you all!_


	58. Screw

58

Vienna awoke with a start. There was a loud crash down stairs followed by several muttered curses. She got up quickly, grabbing her wand from the bedside table.

She silently padded down the stairs, her heart racing. There was someone in the house. She heard another crash come from the direction of the spare bedroom. She moved forward, her wand clutched in her outstretched hand. She jumped in front of the open door and shouted "Stupify!"

She heard the intruder yell as they whipped around, the spell barely missing their ear.

"Hold up, hold up!" Sirius yelled throwing his hands over his head. He held a screwdriver in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vienna cried exasperatly. "Why are you in my house? How the hell did you get in?"

"I broke in-"

"You WHAT?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds-"

"Oh, really? Because it sounds pretty fucking bad right now."

"I was trying to make it up to you-"

"By breaking into my house in the middle of the night?"

"I was trying to surprise you. Look," he said, picking a large piece of cardboard up from the ground and showing her the picture. It was a crib, made from dark wood with ornate designs carved into the frame.

"I tried to put it together with magic, but it won't stay together."

"You broke into my house in the middle of the night to put a crib together?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well yeah. When you put it like that it sounds-"

"Utterly psychotic?" She said and snatched the directions from his hand before sitting down. She sighed, rubbing her stomach and making a face.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asked concernedly.

"Yes," she said, closing her eyes. "The baby's just kicking. It's getting so strong now."

Sirius sat down next to her and raised his hand hesitantly. "Can I?"

She took his hand and gingerly placed it on her stomach. She laughed a little at the expression on his face, as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist. Vienna sighed, looking resigned.

"Well, are we going to put this together or not?" she asked, a little of the old twinkle flowing back into her blue eyes. Sirius looked surprised, as if he'd thoroughly expected her to chuck him out. He stared at her, his grey eyes filled with something he couldn't quite define, but her eyes were buried in the instructions.

"You're a complete prat," she said, looking up after a few minutes.

"What? I thought we were getting past-"

"No, I mean you're an idiot." She held up a bag, filled with shiny silver objects. "You forgot the screws."

"The what?"

"Oh, honestly, haven't you ever built anything before?"

Sirius shook his head and she rolled her eyes before bringing her wand in a long sweeping motion along the disassembled pieces. The crib flew together and gently set itself back down on the floor. Sirius whistled.

"Well," he said, looking at the completed crib. Vienna laughed, the first time he'd heard her laugh in almost seven months.

"If you're going to be around here you should figure out some useful household spells," she said quietly.

_Hey guys, sorry about the wait. I had a really crazy week. My aunt died and my dad just had surgery so I was a little preoccupied but now everything's mainly sorted so hopefully I can updated before Christmas. If I don't I want to wish you all a Happy Christmas. Please review! You guys are great!_


	59. Angels to Fly

59.

Sirius woke early. His back ached and his arm pricked with pins and needles from laying on it all night but he was happy. He got up from the couch and threw the blanket back, grimacing as he aggravated his back.

He was becoming accustomed to life at the little blue cottage. It was strange, he thought, how easily they fell into the rhythm of home life when before neither would have guessed the other to be thus suited.

Vienna was in the kitchen making tea as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. This was strange, as Vienna normally overslept and came rushing down at half seven with one side of her hair all flat from sleeping and a pair of socks clutched in her hand. But today she was perusing a magazine and picking at a biscuit, her wand stuck through the knot on top of her head.

Sirius glanced over her shoulder as he crossed to the kettle. _Truth Potions: Are Some People More Predisposed For Positive Affect? By Ace Erikson._

"Whatcha reading?" he asked, trying not to grin. He found it very amusing for some reason. Perhaps it was the fact that the fellow actually wore a bow tie.

"Article," she murmured, not looking up. Sirius snorted.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Sirius crossed to the counter and picked a muffin from the tin. They were still warm and he managed to drip gooey blue berries onto his shirt. He brushed them off into the sink, smiling despite his ruined shirt. Vienna hated blueberries in anything but she knew they were his favorite.

Vienna folded the page and looked up. "I've got to go to the hospital."

"Hmmm?" Sirius asked. He hadn't really been listening.

"I need to go to the hospital."

"What? What's going on Vi?" Sirius asked, suddenly concerned.

"I think the baby's coming," she said, looking scared for the first time.

"But it can't, there's still another month-"

"Well the baby doesn't seem to feel that way!"

"Ok, ok, let's go!"

Sirius sat in the waiting room, wringing his hands. He couldn't tell if it had been hours or days. He looked up as each Healer passed by, hoping they had some sort of news for him.

They didn't.

"Oh Sirius! We came as soon as we got the owl!" Lily said as she practically sprinted down the hall and wrapped him in a hug.

"Everything will be fine," James said consolingly, patting him on the shoulder.

"SIRUIS BLACK, YOU ARE THE MOST INSUFFERABLE PILE OF TOADSTOOLS I HAVE HAD THE MISFORTURN TO MEET!" came Vienna's strangled scream from the hall.

"Well that's certainly creative," said Remus, who had just arrived. "Under the circumstances of course."

Sirius merely buried his head in his hands, completely ignoring Peter's arrival. He paled as she continued to shriek increasingly fouler things at the Healers hurrying in and out of her room.

After about an hour of this Lily braved asking one of the harried (and slightly singed) looking Healers whether or not they could go and see Vienna, to which he asked if they were completely addled.

"She's what we call YAHD- young, alone and highly dangerous."

"But she's not alone-"

"But none of you is a blood relative and since she's well-" a loud bang issued from Vienna's room "Unstable, we have to ask you to wait outside."

Sirius though, had had enough. He pushed past the Healer and into the room, ignoring his pleas for him to turn around.

"You!" she yelled, her face contorted with pain.

"Yes, it's me. "I'm right here. Come on, take my hand," Sirius said soothingly. He took her hand in his and traced gentle circles across the fabric covering her back. She almost crushed his hand in hers, but he hung on, hoping to alleviate even a little bit if the pain she was enveloped in.

"I think its coming!"

"Push!" the Healer cried. "Push, dear, you're almost there."

"Come on Vi!"

Vienna gave a strangled cry and suddenly hers was joined by a second, higher pitched voice. Healers rushed around as the cries intensified and then suddenly there was a little pink bundle in her arms. The expression of agony was wiped away, leaving only bewildered joy. The baby stared up at her with wide blue eyes that mirrored her own. Sirius reached forward tentatively towards the little bundle and ran a finger through her downy black hair.

"She's beautiful."

Sirius couldn't take his eyes off of the little girl with her ten fingers and ten toes and little button nose. And even when he did it was only to look at Vienna.

She was crying.

"What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly very concerned.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Just being stupid," she said, smiling through her tears. "She's perfect."

"Yes she is," Sirius said, but he wasn't looking at the baby in Vienna's arms.


	60. Promises

60.

"Maesilyne," Vienna said suddenly, looking up at Sirius.

"What?"

"Maesilyne, that's what I want to name her. My little Maesie," she said, looking back down at her raven-haired child.

"Maesie…" Sirius said, testing it out. "Maesie… I like it, it fits."

The rest of the day was filled with visits from the rest of their friends. Lily declared loudly that she wanted a baby while James whitened noticeably. Maesie threw up on Peter, who handed her back very quickly, looking mildly repulsed. Remus, however, hung back, remaining in the corner even after the others had left. He looked positively terrified.

"Do you want to hold her?" Vienna asked kindly.

"No, I'm fine," Remus said quickly. Sirius was looking at him strangely, his eyebrows knitted together.

"Remus, take her," Vienna said, getting up from the bed and laying her in his arms. He held her awkwardly at first, glancing nervously at Sirius.

"Meet your Uncle Remus Maesie," Vienna cooed gently. She looked up at Remus almost as if she could understand her mother.

"She's so sweet," Remus said, almost against his will. He smiled tapping her ever so gently on the nose. "Aren't you Maesie? Sweet little Maesie."

"She's got you wrapped around her finger," Vienna said, smiling. "All the boys, haven't you Maesie? Imagine what they'll be like when you try and go on a date."

"It's a little early to be talking about _that_ isn't it? Can't we wait until she's at least thirty before we bring it up?" Sirius asked jokingly, though looking slightly horrified.

"You just don't want her dating anyone like you," Vienna laughed, perching on the arm of Remus's chair as he continued to coo to Maesie, completely enamored. "No motorbikes for my little Maesie, no no no!" she cooed in a light baby voice, smiling warmly.

"I need you to sign these," said a Healer who had just rushed in. He pushed them at Remus who looked startled.

"Oh, I-"

"They're just the usual paternal papers and then you need to sign the bottom of the birth certificate."

"Oh, I'm not the father-"

"Oh!" The Healer said, looking flustered. "I just thought- Well, you attended all the appointments! It does explain the hair though-"

"I'll take those, Sirius said rather coldly. He signed the forms and handed them back to the Healer and turned back to Remus and Vienna. Remus looked mortally afraid, his eyes wide and his arms wrapped protectively around Maesie. Vienna, however, had her fist jammed in her mouth, her expression contorted in pain.

"Vienna, is everything ok? Are you in pain? I could go and get the Healer-"

Then she burst out laughing. "It's so mean! But it's so funny!" She said jamming her hand back over her mouth. "Your faces!"

Sirius took her hands in his, staring at her seriously. She bit her lip, trying to stop laughing.

"Vienna, it's not funny. It's so sad and I should have been there for you. I promise I will always be there for you and Maesie from now on. And Remus-" Remus shrank back, waiting for Sirius's anger to break over him. "Remus, I,- I can't thank you enough for looking after Vienna and Maesie and for always trying to do the right thing. You were a true friend to her through everything and I should have listened to you. Thank you. Would you mind?" he said, motioning to take the baby girl in his arms. Remus handed her to him, looking wistfully at the baby.

Sirius rocked her gently in his arms. "You'll never be alone again Maesie. Daddy will always be here with you and he'll never let anything harm you."

_Hello again people of cyberworld. Happiness, yay! All of the happiness! Hope you liked it. Please review, I love getting reviews, they're the best! Till next time!_

"_Doth your mother know you weareth her drapes?"_


	61. Reality Sets In

61 Reality Sets In

Vienna was so unbelievably tired. She'd never been this tired- never. Not when studying for finals in seventh year or even the time she'd stayed up for four days straight on a dare. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Was she a bad mother? Why wouldn't Maesie stop crying? Why couldn't she fall asleep, and why would she then wake up, screaming? She wasn't made for this, wasn't maternal enough, it had to be.

She flopped down on the bed without changing out of her clothes and promptly fell asleep without a word to Sirius who was reading a Muggle magazine. It had taken her nearly an hour to put Maesie to bed.

Neither Vienna nor Sirius could remember when or why they'd started sleeping together, whether it was convenience or what. It had just happened and she was simply too tired to make any fuss about it.

Sirius jerked awake as Maesie's cries echoed from the hall. He rolled over, expecting to see Vienna's retreating form disappearing down the hall, but she was still at his side, fast asleep for a change. He got up, careful to not wake her. She'd been working so hard lately, taking care of Maesie. She seemed, to Sirius at least, to be a natural mother, though she second guessed herself at every possible turn.

Maesie was colicky. But no matter how many times the Healer confirmed it or Remus sent her articles, whether Muggle or Magic, she seemed to be unable to believe it. Sirius thought she was simply unable to sit by and be able to do nothing when Maesie was in distress.

He stepped into Maesie's room and was quick to shut the door behind him so as not to wake Vienna. She turned her head to stare at him, her eye sparkling with tears.

Sirius picked her up and carried her to the rocking chair where he sat and rocked until Maesie's tears subsided.

"That's it! What a good girl you are!" Sirius cooed gently. Maesie stared up at him with her pale blue eyes, her brow furrowed as if she were trying to work out what he had said. At five months old he could already tell how bright she was, even though the unintelligible babble that was baby talk. He stood up and crossed back to the crib he and Vienna had put together that night and laid Maesie in it. She stared up at the little mobile of everblooming flowers Vienna had conjured for her and reached a fat fist towards it, her lips working in silence.

Sirius smiled. It seemed so long ago that all of this had started, even that night they'd assembled this very crib seemed distant, as if it had been a dream or a foggy memory.

And somehow it seemed to work, this quiet little life. It was everything he'd ever wanted- just to be safe at home with Vienna and not having to worry if she would be there the next day, or the next.

And the only time the war seeped into their lives was at Order meetings and Vienna barely went to those anymore, what with Maesie to look after.

And Sirius could live with that.

_Hey guys, sorry it's been a while! Been a bit crazy over here! As always please review! They make me super happy!_

_Allonz-y _


	62. Shadows

62 Shadows

It was the first time Vienna had been out and about by herself in months. And if she was honest with herself, it felt fantastic.

She loved Maesie more than she could say, but she missed freedom, missed being rash and forgetful and missed all the things she'd never gotten to do- and never would. It made her feel so guilty.

But she was _not_ going to harp on that now.

She could change that now.

She could feel the letter in her pocket even though it carried no physical weight. But if it worked out the way she'd planned-

She'd left Maesie with Lily for the day. Sirius and James had gone off to do something for the Order- Vienna hadn't asked- and wouldn't be back for at least two days. Lily had been more than happy to oblige.

She'd almost lost her nerve as she heard Maesie burst into tears as the Potter's green door shut behind her, but she forced herself to keep moving. She could not be some housewife who cowered at home.

She cut down the alley and through The Leaky Cauldron, nodding at Tom, the barman as she passed through. She walked along the familiar shops. Sirius and her often came down here, pushing Maesie ahead of them in her pram. She loved to look at all the displays whirring and whizzing around.

But today she was alone, blissfully and infuriatingly alone.

She turned down into Knockturn Alley, her eyes narrowing as they always did when she saw the artifacts of dark magic, but she had to remind herself the world wasn't so black and white anymore. She wasn't in school, she couldn't have such hard and fast morals any longer. This was war, and she was in it whether she liked it or not.

She only had to decide where she stood.

The Order always seemed twelve steps behind no matter how much they learned, how much they guessed and they were slowly being picked off one by one.

But here, here in this dingy pub down Nockturn Alley, here, she had a chance. She turned to the cloaked figure standing motionless beside her. His face was obscured by his hood, but she knew his features well enough without his face to know that this was the person she was meeting. She stepped into the pub and he followed, the door closing softly behind them.


	63. Raised Voices

63 Raised Voices

"You did what?" Sirius stormed, grey eyes flashing.

"It's not-"

"It's not what, Vienna? Dangerous? Wrong? Wrong on so many levels!"

"How do you even know?"

"How _do_ I even know? You don't share anything, you just tell me after the fact after you skulked behind my back for a week-"

"That's not how I meant-"

"Well how did you mean for me to find out then?"

"AGGGHHH! You don't know what it's like, being stuck at home all the time! You get to leave, to do things, to help!"

"This isn't helping Vienna! This is just capitalizing on the war! This is nothing but profiteering! How do you even know that he's not going to turn around and hex you while your back is turned?"

"_You just don't like him because I think he's attractive!"_

"I- That's got nothing-" Sirius spluttered angrily. "What about Maesie?"

"Why don't you take some time off from partying with James and take care of her for a change!"

"We do not go out and party! We're on official Order business!"

"Oh yeah, what about last time when you nearly got picked up by the Muggle policemen on that infernal bike of yours? What was that? Or did Dumbledore tell you to make a complete arse of yourself?"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

The doorbell rang at that moment and Lily and James entered, carrying Maesie, who had grabbed a large chunk of James's hair and was pulling mercilessly to a chorus of giggles.

"Leave it open," Vienna said and stalked out, Sirius staring angrily after her.

"Is everything ok? Sirius?" James asked, looking concerned. Sirius strode out the door just as Vienna disaperated with a pop. They could distinctly hear Sirius cursing and kicking the siding.

"Arse?" Maesie asked, her attention caught by Sirius's muffled yells. Lily put her head in her hands while James sniggered, completely unperturbed by his niece's first word.

_Hey guys! What's going on with Vienna and Sirius now? Where did Vienna go in the last chapter? Who did she meet? Please leave me a review! Theories are totally welcome! Love you guys!_


	64. Under the Hood

64

-_One Week Earlier-_

Vienna stepped into the dingy pub and wrinkled her nose. It smelled strongly of tobacco and stale boos and sick. She was almost glad for the general gloom. She was quite sure she did not want to see the details of the place.

Her companion dropped his hood, sighing. His brown hair had grown out since she'd last seen him, though his blue eyes sparkled the same as ever. He wore a brown tweed set of robes with a dark red bow tie.

"Vienna!" he said quietly, giving her a hug.

"Ace! It's so nice to see you! I was so happy when I got your letter!"

"Well I'm glad! To be honest I didn't think you would come. I figured you'd be too busy with the Aurors, but when I heard-"

"Let's sit down, shall we? There's no good standing in the doorway."

They grabbed a table in the far back of the pub and sat down, a sullen looking barmaid taking their orders. Vienna thought that she looked a lot like Lily with her emerald eyes and dark red hair, but she lacked the same warmth that she possessed.

"So look at you! A mother! I have to admit, I never would have guessed it."

"Yeah," Vienna said, laughing. "You know, neither did I. I always thought I'd go down in some blaze of glory in a duel and hopefully make it into a history book somewhere."

"That's a terrible thing to say! Come on, show me some pictures, I know you have them," Ace said, smiling widely. She dug into her purse and passed over a little book already filled with pictures. He flipped through them all, grinning.

"She's so adorable! She looks like you," Ace said as he handed them back. "I always wanted kids. A whole gaggle of them. Five at least."

Vienna laughed. "Well, you're welcome to babysit at any time!"

Ace sat back and looked at her, a strange, almost sad look in his eye. "You've changed a lot since I last saw you."

"I know, I got fat," she laughed, though it wasn't really true. She was still slim as a reed, just curvier, and less like a lanky fifteen year old boy in a Quidditch uniform.

"I'm serious. You're not the firebrand I-" he broke off and looked away for a second. "You may not want the job. Now you've got a kid and everything."

Vienna leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "Believe me, I want the job."

Vienna popped into existence outside Ace's flat, still fuming. Why couldn't Sirius understand that she needed to do this, needed to do more than sit at home? She wasn't profiteering, she was making the best of a bad situation.

Getting paid for finding Death Eaters wasn't bad.

Even if that pay was substantially higher than what she would be getting if she was an Auror.

She took the stairs two by two before coming to Ace's apartment. She knocked loudly, re adjusting the papers in her hands as she did so.

"It's open!" Ace called. She stepped inside. It was a bit of an eclectic madhouse, with papers lying on every available surface and stacked a foot high on the floor. She kicked the door shut behind her and strode over to Ace's desk, where he sat poring over papers. She set the papers on his desk, none too gently and turned to go.

"Hey! I wasn't expecting you until Monday," he said, looking up.

"It's fine. There's the updated Mulciber file and the little I've dug up so far on Dolohov. And Snape's at the top," she said, pointing to a particularly fat folder.

"Vi, is everything ok?" Ace asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"It's fine," she said quickly, grinding her teeth.

"Are you sure?"

"Sirius and I had a fight," she burst. "He thinks I'm, oh, what was it? Capitalizing on the war. Because I'm selfish and stupid and a terrible mother!"

"Vienna-"

"Because Merlin forbid I get out of the house. I go and help! And it's a job! That's what jobs are, aren't they?"

"Vienna, calm down. Just sit down, everything will be ok," Ace said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, biting her lip. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she brushed them away angrily.

"I'm sorry-"

"Vienna, it's completely ok. I understand it's really stressful for you right now. If you don't want the job-"

"No, I want the job! More than anything! I was so happy; it was such a great opportunity- I- I'm just stressed, you're right. I haven't been getting much sleep."

Ace smiled kindly. "Go home. Sort things out with Sirius. Get some sleep. I'll need you at your best on Monday. I'm counting on you."

Vienna smiled at him, somehow already feeling better. Ace squeezed her hand and led her to the door, waving until she was out of sight.

Vienna let herself into the kitchen, careful not to make too much noise. It was dark, as she expected, as late as it was.

She moved through the room carefully, without even using the little light that poured from the stars outside.

Lights flared, however, as she entered the sitting room.

"You missed Lily and James," Sirius said from the couch. Vienna froze, her hand on the door frame. Sirius continued, his grey eyes fixed on hers. "I talked to them you know. About Maesie. They're willing to watch her a few days a week."

Vienna stared fixedly at him for another moment before sitting down on the couch next to him and resting her head on his chest. She sat like that for a few minutes, the only sound his heartbeat.


	65. On the Trail

65 Trail

Vienna followed the familiar greasy head into the Hog's Head, careful to keep a safe distance. She knew he wouldn't recognize her, but he would recognize some wizened old crone following him for the entirety of his walk through Hogsmeade. She paused and turned to look at the display in Gladrag's Wizard Wear as he shot a suspicious look in her direction.

Snape was taller, thinner, and if possible, less well kept than he had been at school over a year ago. She sat down at the bar, far enough away from him that she wouldn't arouse suspiciousion, but close enough that she could still hear every word he said.

Aberforth shot her a suspicious glance as he passed by to fill Snape's glass. She nodded at him, her eyes falling on the phoenix she had drawn along her ring finger in scarlet ink. He nodded back slightly before filling her glass.

If she was honest she'd gotten the idea from the Death Eaters. If the Dark Mark had the ability to strike fear into the hearts of millions, perhaps some manner of identification could be used in the fight against it.

Plus Maesie had woken her up at two in the morning and she hadn't been able to fall back asleep. And Sirius should know better by now not to leave anything that she could use in sleep deprived plots out.

Vienna sighed and turned back to her glass, downing it in one.

Vienna's eyes flicked to the door as another figure entered, also joltingly familiar. Evan Rosier. Her hand twitched to her wand instinctively. She saw his blue eyes flick to her and narrow in contempt.

And recognition.

She whipped around and looked in the dirty mirror across the bar, but her face no longer resembled the old woman from the Tube. It was bubbling and transforming, her own eyes, bright and unclouded, staring back at her.

Rosier leapt at her, his arms outstretched, corded with thick muscle, all straining for one thing: her head on a pike. She leapt on top of the bar as he flipped a table, sending two wizened looking old warlocks flying. Vienna could have sworn she heard Aberforth let out an exasperated sigh behind her, even with Rosier's howls of rage.

But even as she lifted her wand and bellowed a hex at his hulking form, she still couldn't wrap her head around it. The Polyjuice Potion wasn't due to wear off for at least another forty five minutes. She had checked and double checked the brew to make sure everything was right- why had it worn off so quickly?

She swore as she realized what must have happened, her head whipping towards where Snape had sat, but it was empty.

She seriously had to stop underestimating his ability to slip things in her drink. It must have been her walk that had given her away or some little tick she had or- shit. She'd forgotten to change out of her old Quidditch jersey which had become all too evident when she took off her cloak.

How could she be so stupid?

She dodged the retaliating hex from Rosier, ducking behind the bar. The mirror behind her shattered. She turned, still stooping to look for Aberforth, but he too was gone. Instead she was left with only the deadly fireworks raging above her head.

Snape chuckled as he crept up the stairs, unnoticed in the confusion that followed Vienna's transformation. She was definitely losing her grip, wearing a jersey that plainly spelled out her name on the back on an undercover mission. Or what was meant to be anyway.

Clearly motherhood had addled her brains more than they already were.

He could hear a raspy voice creeping under the door as he rounded the corner and paused, his heart racing.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ..." the voice rasped and Severus crept closer, pressing his ear against the door. The Dark Lord had told his that Dumbledore met with the Seer, but he never thought anything would come of his visit here. Everyone knew Sybil Trelawney was nothing but an old fraud. But this didn't seem like her usual fallacies of doom and destruction. No, even her voice sounded different as she spoke, eerie and hoarse.

"Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ..."

Severus gasped as someone yanked him away from the door, pinning his arms to his sides. He struggled in vain to pull out his wand but the old man's hands held firm.

"Get out of my bar," he snarled, shoving him down the stairs in front of him.

The bar was pandemonium. Hexes and glasses were flying everywhere. Rosier and Alden were dueling furiously, both red in the face. Rosier might lack Aden's skill, but he made up for it in unbridled ferocity. It gave him the distraction he needed to slip out of Aberforth's gasp and through the door before anyone could do anything to stop him.


	66. Circumstance

66 Circumstance

"Just go and get some fresh air," Sirius said, perching on the side of Vi's desk. "You've been staring at this stuff for days. Fenrir's still going to be out there in a few hours."

"That's the problem," Vienna said, her voice muffled as her head was in her hands. "No matter what I do I can't seem to get a handle on him. He's attacked two more people this month. And after what happened with Snape-"

"That's all the more reason to get out of the house. Why don't you take Maesie out? You could go and see some of the windows in Diagon Alley. You know she'd love that."

"But Sirius-"

"Come on, it will only take an hour or two. Besides, what else are you going to do while I'm over at Lily and James's?"

"I suppose you're right," she said and smiled at him. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Thanks Vi," Sirius said, wrapping her in a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The light was almost blinding as she stepped outside, Maesie's chubby little fist clutched in her hand. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd stepped outside, since the Hog's Head fiasco.

She had to admit it felt nice to be a normal mum for Maesie, if only for a few hours.

She could only ever stand normal for a few hours before it became mundane. Which was probably why she read Defense Against the Dark Arts books to her instead of bedtime stories. Because in the present climate she needed all the help she could get.

Maesie laughed as they entered Diagon Alley, running straight for the nearest shop front. Her black curls bounced happily as she slammed her fat palms up against the glass. She loved watching the moving pictures, even if they were nothing but the Ministry banners proclaiming known Death Eaters in purple flashing letters. She giggled as she looked up into the all too familiar face of Fenrir Greyback leering back at her.

"Don't run off like that Maesie," Vienna scolded, picking the little girl up. She started to cry. Vienna stroked her head, murmuring soothingly. "Shhhh, baby, its ok."

But Maesie didn't stop crying. Vienna turned, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.

"Miss me?" asked a hooded figure, pulling a wand out of his cloak with yellowed fingernails.


	67. The End

67 The End

_This couldn't be happening_. Vienna sprinted through the rubble, the shattering glass, the flash of enemy spells overhead, too close. She clutched the sobbing child to her chest, trying to find cover but it was hopeless. Death Eaters surrounded her, their laughter echoing in the deserted alleyway. If she stopped moving for a second to dissaperate she would surely be hit. She tried to halt as many as she could but there were twelve of them and only one of her. Vi shot spell after spell at them, but to no avail. They were advancing on her, forcing her back, back until she was against the wall with nowhere left to go. Vienna sunk to her knees as they drew nearer, laughing at the tears streaming down her cheeks. She could feel the broken glass that covered the alley ripping apart her knees but didn't care. She curved around Maesie, trying to shield her from these murderers.

"Please," she gasped, staring up into the faces of my-soon-to-be killers, "Please, spare my baby! Kill me, not her! Please!" They bore down on her, sneering. One kneeled down and moved closer still, his hot breath sickening on her face. She could see his long yellow teeth under his mask.

"Fenrir," Vienna breathed, her pulse thundering in her veins. So this would not be quick as she had hoped.

"Yes, sweetheart, did you miss me at the office?" She could feel her eyes widen. He knew. He knew she was on his trail, that's why he had gone underground, why he had tracked her here. Sirius had been right. It was too risky, too dangerous, and now she was going to die.

"Don't take her- Not Maesie! Please not her! PLEASE!" she cried. Just then she heard a loud crack. Her head whipped around as people began popping into existence. Aurors. She let out a cry of relief.

Suddenly Maesie was ripped from her arms; one of the Death Eaters had wrenched her away from Vi. She threw herself forward with a howl of rage but was knocked backwards by the immense werewolf. She flung her arms around her head to protect from his gnashing teeth, inches away from her face and throat. She felt him tear at the flesh of her arms with his long, gnarled fingernails, sharpened to claws and cried out. She could feel him shaking with laughter at her agony as he pinned her to the street. He pulled her arms away from her face almost lovingly, savoring my fear and anguish, his hot breath caressing her face.

She kicked out at him, all her strength focused on that single act. He flew back, his face full of shock as her hit the wall on the opposite side of the alley. Vienna struggled up, lunging for the Death Eater that held her screaming daughter once more, but was hit by a jet of light cast by another of her masked attackers.

She collapsed, sinking to her bloodied knees, the ongoing battle still visible through her half closed eyes.

She thought she was dead until the pain peaked and the masked Death Eaters began to retreat. Through the haze which was her vision, she could see Aurors driving them back. Green and red were colliding mid-air and she saw, a half second to late, the jet of green shoot from one of the Death Eater's wand and ricochet right at the Death Eater using her daughter as a shield. She cried out as the jet collided and her small body fell limp. He dropped her before turning on his heel and vanishing.

Vienna screamed, dragging herself forward, but was thrown back by one of the Aurors. Another of the Aurors shot a stunner at the man who had hit Maesie. He ducked quickly, losing his mask.

Vienna recognized him at once, with his long, greasy black curtains of hair and hooked nose.

It was Severus Snape.

She howled as he turned towards her, his black eyes widening.

"COWARD! YOU BLOODY COWARD!" She screamed, throwing herself at him. The Auror nearest her caught her round the middle. She had one last look as Snape turned on his heel and disappeared before she sank to the ground and into blackness.


	68. All is Lost

Later

She awoke in a white room, surrounded by Healers. They were pumping her with as many potions as they could but all she cared about was her baby.

"Where is she? Where is my Maesie?" Vienna asked urgently. A petite Healer with blonde hair looked at her sadly to tell her what she already knew. What she'd known the second the spell had flown from his wand.

"I'm so sorry dear, she didn't make it."

The blackness enveloped her again.

Her eyes fluttered open again. The Healers were hurrying around faster than ever. She could feel the blackness at the edge of her consciousness, waiting to take her once again, whether for seconds, minutes or an eternity it did not matter. Her eternity had been taken from her.

"Is there someone we should call, honey?"

"Sirius. Call Sirius Black."

She knew he was there before she opened her eyes. She could feel him like a phantom limb, her pain doubling as it mixed with his. Vienna opened her eyes slowly, cringing back as she saw him slumped over, shaking with grief. He looked up at the whisper of the sheets.

"I tried Sirius. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she stammered, the tears flowing like rivers across her cheeks.

"I know, it wasn't your fault. Shhhh, Vienna," he said crossing the room in two long strides. She couldn't speak anymore. Grief sealed her throat. It felted like she had aged a hundred years since she had been stolen from her, her baby, her little angel. It was all her fault, all hers.

"My baby! They took our baby! They took her from me Sirius, I tried to stop them, but Greyback, he pinned me down he- then the Aurors came and _he hit her."_

"Just calm down love, everything will be fine," he said, hollowly because he knew it wouldn't.


	69. Old Friends

Old Friends

James and Lily came the next day, their faces streaked with tears. Vienna barely saw them. She just stared at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Sirius, what's wrong with her?" Lily asked tentatively after an hour of trying to talk to Vienna.

"Physically the Healers aren't quite sure. They don't know what she was hit with but they think she'll be fine in a few days. They've stopped the internal bleeding anyhow," Sirius said, his eyes flat and lifeless.

"But why won't she say anything?"

"I don't know, I've been trying all night but she just lays there. The most I got out of her was when she woke up the first time she kept saying she was sorry and something about Greyback. They checked her for werewolf bites, she's fine," Sirius said at Lily's wide eyes. "But then she said one of the Death Eaters, that they were the ones to-" he broke off, burying his head in his hands. Lily put a hand on his shoulder. "That they were the ones to- to do it," he said raggedly. "She was only two years old! I looked in to it and she was right, it was, some bloke named Blakely told me when he came by to fill out the report."

Lily moved to hug him as the door opened again and Peter entered, looking travel worn and frightened.

"I'm so sorry," he said to Sirius before making his way over to the bed, Vienna staring through him as if he were invisible.

They sat in mourning for the next few hours in hushed conversation, their heads flicking to the bed in turn to see if Vienna had moved.

She hadn't.

Remus slipped into the hospital room silently. The others had left and only Sirius and Vienna remained. Sirius was spread out over two chairs, snoring softly. In his hand he clutched a scrap of pink, scorched at the edges but still recognizable.

Maesie's blanket.

Vienna's eyes were open, still staring at the wall. Remus at down on the bed, brushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "I'm so sorry Vi," he said softly.

Her eyes flicked to him. They were dead looking as if someone had extinguished the lights from them. "It's my fault Remus. I should have listened. Sirius said it would be dangerous to take that consulting job and I didn't listen and now she's _dead_ Remus, because of me!"

"It's not your fault Vienna. It was just a terrible, terrible accident."

Her eyes flicked back to the wall.


End file.
